


Raise Me Up

by LBIGreyhound13



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Car Accidents, F/M, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) Dies, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 83,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23345479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LBIGreyhound13/pseuds/LBIGreyhound13
Summary: Takes place 10 months after Spider-Man: Homecoming. After Aunt May suddenly dies, Peter has nowhere to go. Luckily, there’s a certain mentor of his, who comes in to save him...in more ways than one.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 275
Kudos: 611





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, readers, one and all! Welcome to my newest fanfiction, Raise Me Up! So, this fanfiction is part of the famous “Tony-Adopts-Peter” trope! It takes place 10 months after Spider-Man: Homecoming and pretty much diverts from the canon, so…basically Infinity War and Endgame will not happen in this “universe.” There will probably be a few references to my Tony and Peter oneshot series, but that’s to establish their relationship more. I really hope you enjoy this! This was part of me wanting to try this trope out after being inspired by Starryknight09’s “Out of Darkness” series, “May the Road,” and other amazing fanfics out there, and a part of therapy for me as I lost a loved one around the time I started writing this this past summer. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Peter and May Parker practically bolted out of the theater to beat the rush of people that was sure to come out behind them. It was a Friday night, and school was coming to a close on Monday for the summer. So, May decided to treat her nephew to a movie of his choice for successfully completing his sophomore year of high school. Originally, Peter was going to see if Ned wanted to join them, but he decided against it as it was a nice chance for him to spend quality time with his aunt. Between him being Spider-Man, being in school, spending time with Ned and MJ, participating on the Decathlon Team, spending time with Tony Stark, and May working a lot, it was hard to set aside time for just the two of them. Thankfully, this particular Friday night was just the perfect opportunity to get that quality time. Unfortunately, it had begun storming as they were walking to May’s car, so they both got soaked. However, neither Peter nor May minded. This was a special night for aunt and nephew. Nothing was going to ruin it.

“You know, maybe we should just park closer to the theater next time,” Peter said laughing as they got into the car.

“Maybe we should just have Mr. Stark invent jets or rockets so that I can park in the air next time,” May retorted as she put the car in reverse.

Peter couldn’t help but laugh at the mention of his mentor, Tony Stark also famously known as Iron Man and a member of the Avengers. It had been 10 months since the Vulture incident and since Peter turned down Tony’s offer to join the Avengers, and surprisingly, ever since then, Peter and Tony had been slowly getting to know one another becoming closer. The picture they took together at Stark Industries to—as Tony put it—provide more evidence that Peter completed the Stark Internship and when Tony boosted his confidence to MJ that same day seemed to act as the domino effect for them. They had been through a lot together in such a short amount of time, and after May found out about Peter being Spider-Man all those months ago, she of course became more aware of how much Peter looked up to Tony Stark and admired him…and how much Tony came to care about her nephew.

“Aunt May?” Peter suddenly said jolting May out of her thoughts. “Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah, I’m fine, sweetheart,” May said as she started the car. “Just lost in thought, that’s all.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, baby, very sure.” She gently reached out and ran a hand through his brown hair.

Peter could only smile and nodded blushing a little at May calling him “baby.”

“So, when is the next time you’re going to Mr. Stark?” she asked as they turned onto the street.

“Monday, after school lets out,” Peter replied. “He’s got some new ideas for my suit and the nanotechnology project, and he wants to run some tests. Actually, he texted me earlier today about that. He said that after we work in the lab, he wants to take you, Happy, Pepper, Col. Rhodes, Vision, and me out to dinner…you know to celebrate me finishing the year.”

“Tell him I think that’s a great idea,” May replied smiling.

“Awesome!” Peter said excitedly making a mental note to text Tony tomorrow that his aunt was on board with his plans for Monday. “I’m glad you changed your mind about him.”

May smiled at her nephew. She wasn’t afraid to admit that she wasn’t Tony’s biggest fan at first when he suddenly came to their apartment a year ago and whisked Peter away on a “retreat” for the “internship” a whole month later. However, he was finally growing on her as she saw how great he was with Peter…even acting as a father figure to him. She couldn’t help but wonder if he realized he was acting like that or if it just happened naturally…much like how she and her later husband, Ben acted when Peter came to live with them after his parents…Ben’s brother and his wife…died. “Well, just remember not to tell him that,” she finally said. “It could inflate that big ego of his.”

Peter laughed yet again and shook his head. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

May widened her smile as she reached over and ruffled his hair earning a chuckle from Peter in return.

Both aunt and nephew fell into a comfortable silence as May continued to drive through the various intersections to get back to their Queens apartment. Peter leaned his head back against the headrest as he looked out the window watching the buildings roll past them, and he couldn’t help but think about his uncle Ben, May’s husband and his dad’s younger brother, and how he used to take him and May to the movies on Friday nights. He would always sit in the backseat and watch the buildings and the people rolling past them.

“What do you think Ben would’ve thought of Mr. Stark?” Peter finally asked.

May sighed with exaggeration earning a chuckle from her nephew. “You know, I don’t know,” she replied. “I mean when he became Iron Man, it was all over the news that he was shutting down the weapons division in Stark Industries and that he was destroying them wherever they were used.”

Peter nodded. He was only 7 years old going on 8 when Tony was kidnapped in Afghanistan, and while he wasn’t old enough to care about the news, he remembered that that was all people, especially Ben and May talked about. When Tony finally came home three months later, it increased tenfold when Tony announced that he was no longer going to make weapons for a living, and that had to be the exact moment where Peter started to idolize the billionaire. Then that idolization increased when Tony revealed that he was…Iron Man, but he never thought about how Ben reacted to that.

“I just remember Ben…well…being impressed and maybe even shocked. I mean, you got to understand that Tony was painted as this war profiteer…and then…he became this…”

“…Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist?” Peter finished.

“Yes,” May laughed, “and seeing that type of person taking on a role that involves helping people…it shocked everyone. But Ben…he saw what Mr. Stark was doing, and he really came to respect him, especially when he saw how much he looked up to him. After all, like he always said…”

“With great power comes great responsibility,” Peter finished again. Ben said that all the time, especially when he was a little kid. That motto was always something Peter tried to live by, especially after he died about a year ago.

“Exactly,” May replied. “That, and they have one other thing in common.”

“What?”

“They both care very deeply about you.”

Peter smiled at his aunt’s statement. Of course, he knew Ben loved him with all his heart just as he loved him, but it was nice to also hear his aunt acknowledge how much Tony cared about him. There was a small part of Peter that saw the ironclad superhero as a father figure, and it would be impossible not to. They had been through a lot together in these past 10 months. Not that he would actually admit that to May or Tony. Surely, they would find that weird. Tony and Peter weren’t biologically related, after all, so it didn’t make sense as to why they would see each other as father and son.

The rookie superhero was jolted out of his thoughts when he and May stopped at a red light. He felt something…a small tingling…his spider sense. Peter immediately sat up and looked around surveying the intersection looking for any signs of danger.

“Peter, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” May asked trying to keep an eye on the red light.

“I…I don’t know…” Peter said as he scanned the intersection. “It…it’s my…sense…I guess, but…I don’t see anything…”

“Well, maybe—” May tried to say something only to be interrupted by a horn honking behind them.

They looked behind them only to see that there was another car right behind them, and they could see the driver urging them to go. May turned back around only to see that the light turned green.

“Let me know if I need to pull over when it gets worse,” she said as she pressed gently on the gas pedal moving the car forward. The car moved into the intersection.

Peter’s spider sense began to tingle even more causing him to grunt and grab the back of his neck. What he saw next seemed to occur in slow motion. Lights then came straight toward them while they were in the middle of the intersection. “MAY!” he shouted.

_CRASH!_

Peter felt his head bang against something, and then everything went black…

* * *

Pain was the first thing that registered in Peter’s head as he came to. He groaned as he opened his brown eyes trying to get rid of the blurry vision and the headache that came with it, and as soon as he was able to focus, he noticed that he was still in the car, which he thought was good because he didn’t remember getting out of the car or even coming back to the apartment. He looked up and furrowed his eyebrows together at what he saw… The car window on his side of the car was cracked, and it was then he felt something on the side of his head. He brought up a shaking hand to the wet spot and was able to feel a cut…or a gash on his head. He brought his hand away and saw blood on his fingertips, and that was when it all came back to him.

He and May were driving home from the movie theater…

His spider sense went off…

His aunt was driving, and…their light was…green…and…

Someone crashed into them…

Aunt May…

“Aunt May?” Peter asked turning to his left expecting to see May waking up. However…all he found was his aunt in her seat…completely still with multiple injuries. “May?” His heart began to pound as he moved to get a closer look, but the seatbelt anchored him to the seat. “Shit…” He tried to release the seatbelt, but he found that it was jammed.

“Come on, Spider-Man,” he whispered to himself as he used his super strength to break the seatbelt out of the back. As soon as he was free, he leaned over to his aunt. He could see that she was lying very still in her seat. Her airbags had been deployed too. “May? May, are you okay?”

No answer.

“May!” Peter shouted as he shook her shoulder.

Within seconds, sirens and more lights surrounded them. Peter looked around and saw that police cars and ambulances were coming from all directions. Help had come, but Peter was confused. He didn’t remember calling 911, and he looked down. His phone was on the floor of the car, and he quickly bent down to pick it up. Someone who saw the accident must’ve called for help.

“Help is here, May!” Peter said to his unconscious aunt. He was much too relieved to notice that his aunt was still not answering.

A flashlight suddenly shined in his face. “Kid, are you okay?” a voice shouted. Peter put his hand up to shield his face and could see that it was police officer.

“Yeah, but my aunt…she’s unconscious,” Peter replied. He probably should’ve mentioned his head, but he could care less about his head. He just wanted May to be okay.

“Okay, sit tight,” the officer replied. “We’ll get you two out of here.”

Peter nodded and watched as some firemen came up on either side of the car with some tools. He couldn’t really see what they were using, but suddenly, he began to hear loud drilling noises from outside. Then within seconds, they managed to get the doors opened on both sides, and next thing Peter knew, the firemen practically dragged him out of the car. The rookie superhero noted that he could’ve easily ripped the doors off with his super strength, but that was the last thing he was worried about at the moment as the paramedics rushed over and dragged him to the ambulance waiting nearby. He tried to see if May was being helped as well, but he barely had any time to react as he was brought into the ambulance and sat down on a gurney with the paramedic in front of him.

“T-They’re going to take care of my aunt, right?” Peter quickly asked as the paramedic inspected the gash in his head.

“Of course they will,” the paramedic replied. “We’re going to take you to the Mount Sinai Queens hospital. Can you tell me your name, sweetheart?”

“Peter Parker,” he answered quickly. He wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline…or his super strength or enhanced healing…or a concussion, but his head didn’t hurt that much. He felt a dull ache, but that was it…even as the paramedic poked at the gash.

“Nice to meet you, Peter,” the paramedic replied. “My name is Lexie. Can you tell me where you live?”

“15th Street in Queens,” Peter replied quickly. “I live there with my aunt May.” He knew that wasn’t the question, but it couldn’t hurt.

“Okay, where do you go to school?” Lexie asked as she got in front of Peter inspecting his eyes.

“Midtown School of Science and Technology,” Peter replied.

Lexie nodded clearly glad that Peter was able to answer the questions. “Okay, I’m going to shine my flashlight,” she said as she took out a flashlight and turned it on. “I just need you to hold still for a minute. I’m just checking to see if you have a concussion.”

Peter nodded as he felt the ambulance driving away. Lexie shined the light, and the rookie superhero felt his headache increase.

“Does that bother you?” Lexie asked.

“Y-Yeah, I have a bit of a headache,” Peter replied.

“Okay, you might have a mild concussion,” Lexie stated as she wrote something down on a notepad, “but we’re going to get to the hospital soon to get you checked out. Can you tell me what you remember?”

“Uhh…y-yeah…yeah…” Peter began. He wanted to ask Lexie again about May going to the same hospital as them, but he figured he could just ask after he answered Lexie’s question. “Well…May and I…we were driving home after seeing a movie, and I…” he stopped. It would probably be best for him to mention his spider sense, “felt…sick…or something. We were stopped at a red light, and someone behind us beeped. We went at a green light, but then someone rammed into us on May’s side of the car. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in the car, and my aunt was unconscious. That was when you guys came.”

“Okay…” Lexie replied nodding and taking Peter’s story in. “Well, we should be at the hospital soon. In the meantime, the young woman took out a roll of gauze and began to wrap it around Peter’s head, “I want you to lie down.” She gently guided Peter to lie down on the gurney.

“Okay, and you promise that my aunt will be there,” Peter asked quickly, “right?”

“Of course, I’m sure she’s waiting for you,” Lexie replied. “You’ll get to see her once you two get checked over, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter replied nodding.

* * *

Within minutes, Peter found himself being wheeled into the ER at Mount Sinai Queens. Although, he wasn’t sure why since he was able to walk just fine. Maybe it was for precaution, but that didn’t matter to Peter at the moment. He scanned the ER hoping to find any sign of May as the medical team rushed around him to get him into a room.

“May!” Peter shouted looking around.

No answer and no sign of her.

Now, he was starting to worry. Had she been taken to another hospital? Or what if…? Peter’s heart pounded at his next thought, and he shook his head. He refused to accept it. It couldn’t be. She had to be okay. She had to be!

“May, where are you?! Aunt May!” Peter shouted again.

Again…no answer and no sign of her.

Before he could try again, he wheeled behind a curtain and helped onto a bed. Where was May?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s all for the first chapter, boys and girls! I really hope you all enjoyed it! The next chapter will be coming next week! I hope to see you all there!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Guess what? I’m back with Chapter 2 of Raise Me Up! I know I said that this would come next week, but the chapter was actually already typed up and I didn’t think there was a reason to wait. So….I decided to post it early! Thank you all so much for the support in the first chapter! It really means a lot, and I hope you like what’s coming next! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Peter wasn’t sure what time it was. Time seemed to have vanished ever since the accident that night, and he wasn’t sure how long he had been in the bed for. However, he had a feeling that it had to be at least a few hours…maybe a little less. He had no clue as to the doctor and nurse finally finished stitching the gash on his head and wrapping thick gauze around it. The rookie superhero figured that the adrenaline must’ve worn off because now his head had begun to hurt even more, but that still didn’t matter to Peter. He still had no clue as to where his aunt was. May still had yet to call or text him, and surely, she would’ve after they were both separated at the scene of the accident.

“Okay, Peter,” the nurse said as she and the doctor stepped back after tending to his wound. “You’re all set.”

“I’m just going to give some meds,” the doctor…Dr. Bailey explained smiling at him. “Is there someone we can call for you?”

“Yeah, my aunt May Parker,” Peter suddenly replied relieved that now, he was finally going to get an answer as to where May was. “I told the paramedic that she was in the accident too, and I hadn’t seen her since. The paramedic told me that she was coming here too, but I haven’t even heard from her. I really need to—”

“It’s alright, it’s alright, Peter,” Dr. Bailey replied. “I’ll go to the front desk and find out where she is, okay? You’ll get to see her soon.”

Peter nodded quickly before the doctor and the nurse finally left to go find his aunt. He leaned back against the pillows aching for any answers regarding May…aching for her to come running through the curtains completely okay, giving him a huge hug, and taking him home so that they could forget this ever happened. Although, they didn’t have a car…Maybe they could get a taxi or an Uber? Maybe Happy would pick them up?

* * *

“Peter?” a voice suddenly said jolting the teenager out of his thoughts. He had been moved to another room while the doctor went to go find out where May was. Now, the doctor finally came back to his room, and hope increased tenfold as he eagerly sat up and waited for his aunt to come in from behind him.

However…his hopes were dashed pretty quickly as another doctor came in from behind instead. As annoyed as he was, he couldn’t help but feel worried as he noted the sad look on their faces.

“Peter…uh…” Dr. Bailey began, “this is Dr. Becker.” He gestured to the female doctor behind him.

Dr. Becker looked to be in her early 50s with long brown hair tied back in a bun. She also had big glasses and was dressed in a white coat like Dr. Bailey.

“Uh…hi? I-I’m Peter,” the teenager replied holding his hand out to shake.

“It’s nice to meet you, Peter,” Dr. Becker said as she shook his hand. “I was in charge of your aunt’s case.”

“Oh!” Peter said as he sat up a little more. “Well…where is she? Is she okay? I mean, she was unconscious in the car after the accident, but did she wake up? What room is she in?”

“Well, actually,” Dr. Becker said as she sat down in a chair next to Peter’s bed, “umm…your aunt…the paramedics found that she had a faint pulse after the accident. Her injuries were severe, and…we tried to…help her. However, she…flatlined during surgery, and we tried to get her heart started again.”

“Tried?” Peter uttered as the worry increased tenfold. He silently prayed that this wasn’t what he was beginning to think it was.

Dr. Becker nodded. “Peter, I’m…very sorry,” she began shaking her head, “but…your aunt…passed away. There was nothing more we could do for her.”

Within seconds, Peter felt his entire world come crashing down around him. “W-What…w-what…?” Peter uttered as his brown eyes widened, he felt ice-cold terror and shock wash over him. “N-No…no…she…she can’t be…” He couldn’t dare to say the word…or even think it. “T-That…no…no…there…there must be some mistake… She…she’s not gone! It’s…It’s got to be…another May Parker. It…It…”

“Peter, I know this is a huge shock,” Dr. Bailey began, “but…”

“No!” Peter suddenly shouted as tears welled up in his eyes. “No…she can’t be…I’m sorry I didn’t mean to shout, but she…” He sniffled as a tear fell down his cheek, “…she can’t be…gone. She’s…”

 _“All I have left…”_ he thought to himself.

Peter couldn’t finish that last statement as he finally gave in and began to sob bowing his had and grabbing handfuls of his brown hair.

“I’m so sorry, Peter,” he heard Dr. Bailey say. The teenager was so distraught as he continued to cry, but he barely noticed that Dr. Bailey actually sounded sincere. Perhaps, it was good bedside manner, or…maybe he’s been through something like his situation.

He couldn’t believe this was happening. His aunt May was gone. May was gone. He felt so wrong for thinking this. There was no way it could be true. After his parents died a long time ago when he was 4 years old, he went to live with his aunt May and uncle Ben, and then after Ben died almost 2 years ago, it was just him and May. She promised that he would never be alone…that she would always be there for him. How could she just be gone? How could she just leave him?

“C-Can I see her?” Peter finally asked. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. There was no way it was true. Maybe if he saw her, he could figure out if it was in fact his aunt. That was probably what happened with his aunt. Maybe there was a mix-up of some sorts.

“Of course, we’ll take you to her,” Dr. Becker replied. “We haven’t moved her yet, so she’s in a room.”

“But we do have to ask, Peter,” Dr. Bailey asked. “Is there anyone who you can call? We couldn’t find anyone in Aunt May’s emergency contacts.”

Peter could only shake his head despite how much he wanted to protest that May wasn’t dead. “No…” he said despondently, “she’s…all I have left in my family.” He wracked his brain trying to think of anyone else, but…there’s no one he could think of at the moment.

Dr. Bailey nodded in understanding, and Peter couldn’t help but notice that he seemed afraid that that was his answer. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll take you to see your aunt then.”

* * *

Peter trailed behind the two doctors as they moved down the hall from his room, and his heart pounded as they walked further down the hall. There was a part of him that was relieved that he was going to see May, but there was another part of him that was utterly scared. The doctors had just told him that his aunt was dead…that May was dead…killed in the car accident tonight. His heart pounded even more at the thought of his aunt lying so still with her eyes closed. The mere thought of him not seeing her again made him sick to his stomach. May would never do that to him. She wouldn’t just leave him like that…not now when they needed each other…when they were supposed to have more time together.

“She’s in here, Peter,” Dr. Becker said jolting Peter out of his thoughts. He could see the solemn expression on her face, and he immediately felt tears welling up in his eyes fighting the urge to accept his aunt was truly gone. “It’s going to look like she’s sleeping, and you can take as much time as you need.”

“We’re going to send someone to talk to you in a bit,” Dr. Bailey added before Peter had a chance to respond. “They’re going to wait out here for you, okay?”

Peter could only nod. Words escaped him at the moment. There was nothing to say. The doctors must’ve sensed that because Dr. Bailey turned and simply opened the door for Peter allowing him to walk in. The teenager’s brain was screaming at him to stop and to run the other direction…away from the doctors…away from the room, but…his feet kept moving into the room. He wished he could stop, but…it was all in vain. As soon as he walked in, he saw her…lying in bed…completely still. There were no machines or monitors around her. The room was empty except him, May, and…the bed and some furniture.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he laid his eyes on May. Her eyes were closed…like she was sleeping as the doctor said, and he took a few more steps closer. “M-May…?” he finally said through a sob. He sniffed as he sat down the bed staring at his aunt. There was no answer. “Aunt…May…? P-Please…M-May…w-wake up…P-Please…don’t let this be true…” He sniffled again waiting for an answer…for her to open her eyes and to end this waking nightmare, but nothing came. Peter sniffled again. “A-Aunt May…c-can you hear me…? It’s Peter…” He sniffled. “M-May, please…please, y-you can’t…n-not like Uncle Ben…”

Again…no answer.

Peter sniffled and let out a sob as he rested his head on May’s chest crying even harder when he heard no heartbeat. “Please, Aunt May,” he whispered through his sobs. “Please…don’t leave me…N-Not you, too…” First, his parents, then Uncle Ben, and now….Aunt May. He gripped May’s arms tightly sobbing willing her to come back…to take him home away from this hospital, but when that didn’t happen, he continued to cry.

* * *

“Peter?”

Peter jolted and opened his eyes. “May?” He blinked a few times only to see a woman standing over him. She had white hair tied back into a bun, blue eyes, and a navy blue suit on. Peter immediately figured he must’ve fallen asleep because he didn’t remember her walking into the room. Plus, he was feeling groggy and thought it was his aunt completely forgetting that she was in the bed…dead.

She smiled at him with pity. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said. “My name is Danielle Walker. I’m a social worker.”

Peter slowly sat up at that statement as he widened his eyes, and that was when it hit him. May was his last living relative. There was no one else to take him in…He was an orphan, and he belonged to the state of New York. His heart began to pound. “O-Oh…” he said.

The social worker must’ve sensed his uneasiness, as she pulled up a chair to sit down in front of him. “It’s okay,” she said. “I just want to talk to you for a little bit. The doctors told me about your aunt.” She kept her eyes focused on Peter not once looking at May’s…body. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“T-Thank you…” Peter replied. He snuck a look at May as tears rolled down his face before he quickly wiped them away turning back to Mrs. Walker.

“Is there somewhere else you would like to go to talk, Peter?” she asked gently. “We can maybe—”

“No, no,” Peter said quickly. He felt a little bad for shooting down the offer as quickly as he did, but he wasn’t ready to leave May just yet. Plus, what if she tried to take him away to her agency? No, he couldn’t let that happen. “I-I’m okay here.”

“Okay,” Mrs. Walker said nodding. “Well, I know this has been…a difficult night for you, but I need to talk to you about…your living arrangements. The doctors tell me that they didn’t know who to contact in terms of next of kin. Is there—”

“No…no…” Peter answered sadly shaking his head, “my…uh…my aunt was the…the only family I had left.” He hung his head low.

Mrs. Walker sighed sadly. “Then, you will need to be—”

“No!” Peter suddenly said looking back up at the social worker. “No, please, Mrs. Walker! You can’t send me into the system! Please, I don’t want to go live in a foster home!” He knew that the social worker was just doing her job, and he understood that. However, the thought of living with complete strangers after living his only family for so long…the thought of moving away from New York possibly away from M.J…Ned…Tony…made him sick to his stomach.

“Peter, Peter,” Mrs. Walker said trying to remain calm for the teenager. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’re only 15. You can’t live on your own. I have some families, who will—”

“No, please!” Peter interjected pleadingly as tears formed in his eyes again. “Please…I’m begging you, Mrs. Walker. Don’t send me into the system.”

“Okay, okay, calm down,” Mrs. Walker said holding her hand up to calm the teenager. “We don’t have to talk about it right now.”

 _“Then why are we talking about it now?”_ Peter thought to himself. Nevertheless, he nodded slowly sighing in relief.

“We can talk about it when you’re thinking more clearly,” Mrs. Walker continued. “However, you will need a place to stay with in the meantime. Is there someone you trust to let you stay with them for the time being?”

Peter wracked his brain despite the dull ache trying to think of anybody he could call. Ned…his best friend was an option, but…there was no way he could impose on Ned’s parents. Not only that, but he wasn’t in the right mind to answer questions from Ned. M.J. was another option. As blunt as she was, she would know better to give him space for the night, but…he didn’t know her parents as well as he knew Ned’s. It would be too awkward. He quickly got out his phone as he felt the social worker’s eyes on him. He scrolled through his contacts trying to find someone, who could help. Happy…Tony Stark’s bodyguard…was in there, but Peter didn’t find it in his heart to bother him. Although, he was a backup in case he couldn’t find anyone else. He continued scrolling through his contacts. Finally…one name made him stop.

_Tony Stark…_

_“Call him…call Mr. Stark…”_

Whether the whisper was his own inner voice…or Aunt May’s…Peter would never know, but it seemed like the best option he had. He had stayed over with Tony for a weekend last year when May went on a business trip, and he’s been over there for their lab days and movie nights. Maybe Tony could let him stay for a day or two and help him get back on his feet to live on his own. Maybe he could work part-time at Stark Industries? After he filed for emancipation?

“Did you think of someone?” the social worker asked.

“Maybe,” Peter said, “but…it…might be a longshot.”

He then remembered that one text from Tony from months ago.

_“You can text me anytime…whether you need my help or if maybe you just want to chat.”_

Well, he definitely needed help… Without much thought, he tapped the number and brought the phone to his ear. It rang once…then twice…and then…

“Hey, Peter!” Tony said over the line as he answered. “Didn’t think you’d be calling this late. How was the movie?”

Relief washed over Peter as soon as he heard his mentor’s voice. He also sounded like he had been working in the lab for quite a while. It didn’t sound like he was waking up, which didn’t make Peter feel any worse. “M-Mr. Stark…uhhh…” Almost instantaneously, the tears returned in his eyes. He let out a shaky breath, and he could almost feel a shift in his mentor’s voice.

“Hey, you okay, kid?” Tony asked carefully. “Why do you sound like you’re about to cry?” He and May had just gone to see a movie. Why would Peter call him so late at night about to cry? He wouldn’t cry if he and May had a fight. He would just be venting to him and using some colorful language.

Peter opened his mouth to explain what happened, but all that came about was a small sob as tears rolled down his face. “Ummm…” he sniffed, “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Stark…I didn’t know who else to call…” He sniffled again placing a hand over his mouth trying to stop sobbing.

“It’s okay, kid,” Tony said gently—something that wasn’t usually associated with Tony Stark unless you were in his inner circle. “It’s okay. You know you can always call me.”

Even though he knew Tony wouldn’t see, Peter nodded his head as he sobbed again.

“Peter…” Tony began, “you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

If the grief and all other mixed emotions weren’t consuming him at the moment, he would’ve felt awful for scaring his mentor, but somehow, the teenaged superhero took a deep breath to stop himself from sobbing. “Umm…” Peter took another deep breath, “…I’m actually in the hospital right now.”

“What?!” Tony shouted. “Are you okay?! What happened?!”

Of course, he had to explain how he got there to begin with. As far as Tony knew, Peter and May had a movie night tonight and were supposed to have just gone home. Peter didn’t plan on patrolling tonight. How could this night have gone from a night at the movies to a night at the hospital?

“A-Aunt May and I…we were…” Peter began, “we were on our way home, and…this car…it…we…we got in a car accident.”

“Jesus…” Tony replied, “are you two okay?”

 _“You two…”_ It obviously hadn’t occurred to him what must’ve happened…what clearly happened.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Peter replied as tears rolled down his cheeks, “b-but…May…” he sobbed instinctively grasping May’s hand next to him, “…m-my aunt…” he sobbed again, “Mr. Stark, she didn’t make it.”

“Oh my god…” Tony said as shock dripped into his voice, “aw, kid, I’m so sorry. Umm…” he paused as if he was trying to figure out what he wanted to say, “a-are you…are you with anyone right now? Are you alone?”

“No, there’s a social worker here sitting with me right now,” Peter replied. He had honestly forgotten about Mrs. Walker as he eyed her still sitting in the chair across from him. “The doctor still has to clear me and give me some medicine.”

“FRIDAY, track Peter’s phone and open my safe,” Tony suddenly said addressing his A.I. There was another pause as he heard Tony fumbling around clearly looking for something. “Okay, sit tight, kid. I’m going to have Happy wait for me, okay? Whatever you do, don’t leave with anyone.”

“Okay,” Peter said as more tears formed in his eyes as he sniffed.

“It’s going to be okay, I promise, buddy,” Tony replied.

“I hope you’re right.”

“Of course, I am. I always am, you know that.”

Despite the circumstances, Peter let out a little chuckle before sniffling again.

Tony chuckled at his own comment. “Hang in there,” he replied. “I’ll be there soon with Happy.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Stark,” Peter replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd that’s all for Chapter 2, folks! I really hope you like this one! Tony finally made an appearance, and he is on his way to get Peter! Let’s see what happens next! See you in the next chapter, guys!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, readers! Welcome back to Raise Me Up! Once again, I had this all typed up, so I decided to post it a little earlier than I anticipated. Once I get further into the story, I’ll probably keep to weekly updates, but for now, I figured “you know what? It’s typed and ready, why not?” So this is CHAPTER 3!! And Tony really comes onto the scene in this chapter! I really hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tony couldn’t remember the last time he ran so fast. Sure, he ran into battle as Iron Man, but that mostly involved flying. As soon as he hung up the phone with Peter, he got on the phone with Happy asking him…or rather demanding that he get the car ASAP to get to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital. They needed to get to Peter right away. With the papers in his pocket, he ran down to the garage to meet Happy with the car, and then he got on the phone with his fiancée Pepper.

“Tony, what is it?” Pepper asked with sleep in her voice when she picked up the phone. She was away on a business trip, and was coming home early tomorrow morning, which made Tony feel even worse for calling her so late in the evening.

“I’m so sorry for waking you up,” Tony replied quickly as Happy drove from the tower, “but I need you to get in touch with our lawyer and May Parker’s lawyer.”

“W-Why?” Pepper asked as she woke up a little more clearly a little perplexed that Tony was asking for her to call their lawyer…and May’s lawyer in the middle of the night. “What’s going on?”

“Peter just called me,” Tony replied. “I don’t have time to get into details, but he and May were in a car accident tonight, and…May…” he took a shaking breath, “she…she didn’t make it.”

“Oh my god,” Pepper said in shock as she sat up in bed. “What about Peter? Is he okay?”

“Happy and I are on our way to get him at the hospital,” Tony replied. “There’s a social worker there with him ready to put him in the system, so I got the paperwork from a few months ago.”

“Oh god…okay, do what you need to do and get to him,” Pepper instructed. “I’ll call Larry and May’s lawyer. See if the social worker would be willing to meet up tomorrow morning.”

Tony felt some relief wash over him hearing the command in Pepper’s voice. It was one of the million reasons why he made her the CEO of Stark Industries to begin with. “You’re a life saver, Pep,” he finally said relaxing somewhat. He would feel more relaxed once he had Peter beside him.

“I try,” she said. She then paused. “Tony…things are going to be different from now on.”

“I know,” Tony said running a hand through his hair. “I’m honestly surprised that I’m not having an attack right now.”

Pepper couldn’t help but smile hearing the nervousness in his voice. “You’re a lot stronger than you think,” she said. “Pete’s going to need you more than ever now, and Happy, Rhodey, Vision, and I will support you in any way.”

“Thanks, honey,” Tony whispered trying to push the nerves down. “Let me know what happened with the lawyers.”

“Of course. Call me when you get back to the tower.”

“Will do. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

Tony barely had a chance to thank Happy and to tell him to wait in the car as he practically bolted out of the car and ran into the lobby of the Emergency Room. He mentally cursed himself for not asking Peter what wing or room he was in, but as soon as he ran in, he saw the receptionist staring him with widened eyes.

“Excuse me,” he said completely ignoring the shocked look on the woman’s face, “I’m Tony Stark. I’m looking for Peter Parker…15 years old…brown hair…brown eyes…yay high…he came in here after getting in an accident with his aunt May Parker.” Tony didn’t show it, but he couldn’t help but marvel at how he’s known the kid for almost a year and Peter was rubbing off on him.

“O-Oh yes…yes, M-Mr. Stark,” the receptionist finally said, “the social worker…she said that you would be coming. They’re in room 206, and I believe the doctor is just about to clear him.”

“Great, thank you,” Tony replied quickly. He practically sprinted to the elevator pushing the button to go up aggressively before the doors finally opened. His heart pounded as he jumped in and pushed the button to go to the second floor. His nervousness increased tenfold when the elevator finally opened to the floor as he clutched the paperwork in his hands, but he refused to let it cripple him now…when Peter needed him to come through. He refused to let this kid down on what was probably the worst night of his young life as he ran down the hall to find the room 206.

Finally, he found room 206 and didn’t hesitate to open the door not even bothering to knock. There, he found Peter sitting on a bed with…May…lying very still…and the social worker sitting in a chair across from Peter as if to prevent him from going anywhere. Peter clearly heard him come in as he suddenly looked up allowing the veteran superhero to see his bloodshot eyes…and…the gauze around his head…a clear indication that he had been hurt in the accident as well. However, Tony quickly realized that Peter didn’t even mention that, but that didn’t matter right now. He needed to focus on the kid…his mentee.

“Aw, kid…” Tony trailed off as he stood there letting the door close behind him. He didn’t know what to say for once.

“M-Mr. Stark…” Peter replied as he watched his mentor walk over to him feeling even more relief. He couldn’t believe it! Tony actually came for him!

“Hey, buddy,” Tony said as he crouched down in front of Peter with concern etched all over his face. He gripped Peter’s elbows searching the boy for any other injuries. “Are you…I mean…are you…?”

“It’s just my head, don’t worry,” Peter quickly replied. The teenaged superhero was able to see that his mentor was wearing an AC/DC shirt and jeans instead of a suit and sunglasses. It was pretty obvious that Tony had been working in the lab when he called, and Peter wanted to apologize for making the man come all the way to the hospital. However, he didn’t have the energy to do so.

“Mr. Stark,” a voice suddenly said interrupting the conversation. Tony looked up and saw the social worker mentally kicking himself for forgetting she was there, “my name is Danielle Walker. I’m the social worker. Thank you for coming.”

“Of course,” Tony quickly replied shaking her hand.

“Why don’t we step outside for a moment?” Mrs. Walker suggested. “There are some things I would like to discuss with you.”

Tony nodded before turning his attention back to Peter. “Hey, kiddo, I need to step out into the hall with Ms. Walker here, but I’m going to be right back, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter replied quietly.

Tony patted him on the knee before standing up and out into the hallway with the social worker closing the door…leaving Peter alone to the silence in the room.

* * *

Tony made sure to stand near the little window on the door to keep an eye on Peter. He hated the idea of leaving him alone, but the social worker probably figured it would be easier to not let Peter to listen to it, which was understandable considering what he just went through.

“So…what happened?” Tony finally asked. “What’s going on?”

“Well, like Peter said over the phone,” Mrs. Walker began, “he and his aunt were in a car accident this evening. Apparently, they had a green light in an intersection, and another driver ran through a red light and crashed into them. Mrs. Parker passed away during surgery.”

“Jesus…” Tony muttered shaking his head. He could imagine May and Peter sitting in that car together thinking that they were just going home after seeing a movie, and the night took a turn for the worst in a split second. It painfully reminded him of the night his parents died…how they were going to go away for the holiday…only to meet their horrible fate at the hands of…Tony clenched his fists at the mere thought of that man.

“And Peter told me that May Parker was his last living relative,” the social worker continued. “So, I must ask, what exactly is your relationship with him?”

“I’m his mentor,” Tony said looking Peter in the room quickly before turning back to Mrs. Walker. “He did an internship for me a while back, and we’ve been keeping in touch since then.” It wasn’t a complete lie. Other than the whole ordeal regarding Peter being Spider-Man, he and Peter had been spending time together, getting to know one another, and getting into some crazy adventures ever since the Vulture incident. However, he could still tell the social worker found it somewhat odd that a billionaire like himself would bother to keep in touch with one teenager. Then again, she hadn’t gotten to know Peter yet. “So, what exactly happens now?”

“Well, given that he’s a minor and does not have any next of kin or a legal guardian as far as we know, he will need to be placed in a foster ho—”

Tony didn’t even bother to let her finish that thought. “Actually, I wasn’t asking about that,” he said crossing his arms. “I was asking what happens in the process…to…become his legal guardian.”

For a brief moment, Mrs. Walker stared at him with widened eyes clearly not expecting the Tony Stark to ask about becoming the guardian of a minor he met months ago through an internship. However, she managed to recover from the shock with a smile. “Mr. Stark, I understand you know the child,” she began, “but I already have some families who would love to—”

“No, no, you don’t understand,” Tony quickly replied trying to keep his emotions in check. He needed to remain calm for Peter, especially after the night he had. “His aunt…uhh…a few months ago,” he took the envelope out of his pocket presenting it to her, “May Parker changed her will, so that…I would be named as Peter’s legal guardian if anything were to happen.”

Mrs. Walker eyed the veteran superhero as she took the papers from him and unfolded them reading it closely. She was able to see that it was in fact a copy of May’s will and turned to the page that stated that the care of Peter Parker would be left to Tony Stark in the event that May was no longer able to provide for her nephew.

It felt like an eternity before she finally looked back up at Tony. “I see,” she simply said before continuing, “and do you know of anyone who can verify this and act as an executor? I can’t just simply hand Peter over to you.”

“My fiancée is calling our lawyer and May’s lawyer as we speak,” Tony replied using all of his strength to remain calm and not make any jokes. “They all witnessed us signing the will and can verify it and answer any questions you might have. Peter needs someone he’s familiar with…someone he could trust. He doesn’t need to go into the system. I can take him home with me tonight, and my fiancée and I will gladly meet with you and the lawyers tomorrow to sign any paperwork that needs to be signed.”

Mrs. Walker crossed her arms and bit her lip in contemplation. Usually, these situations ended with the child going with her to CPS. It never ended with the child in question calling a billionaire, for whom he did an internship a while ago, and said billionaire claiming that the child’s aunt named him as a guardian. Why would Tony Stark be here if this child didn’t mean something to him?

“Please,” Tony whispered. He could feel his heart pounding. For someone who was used to making things happen, the veteran superhero had never felt more nervous and helpless. He wanted more than anything to be able to fulfill May’s dying wish and to take her orphaned nephew home, but if this social worker refused to comply…the thought of failing May and Peter…on top of the thought of possibly never seeing Peter again—after everything they had been through…done and seen together…made Tony sick to his stomach.

Mrs. Walker gave him a small smile. “Very well,” she finally replied. “Tomorrow at 8AM, we can meet at CPS, and if all goes well, you can be granted temporary guardianship until a court hearing can be scheduled.”

“Absolutely,” Tony replied with a huge smile on his face. “We’ll be there.” Relief coursed through his body.

“And not for nothing, but I do think the fact that he thought to call you speaks volumes of how much he trusts you,” she said. “We can talk to his doctor and get his release papers signed, and then you’ll be free to take him for the night.”

 _“Hopefully, for longer than that after tomorrow…”_ Tony thought to himself.

“Perfect,” Tony said quickly, “and you have my word: you will see us in your office tomorrow.”

“Good,” Mrs. Walker took out a small card, “and here is my card with all my contact info and the address to the office. If you need anything before tomorrow, you can reach out.”

“Much appreciated,” Tony replied as he took the card from her. He used one of his famous Tony Stark smiles. “I can tell you really care about your job and these kids.”

“It’s what I do, Mr. Stark,” she replied with a small smile. “Now, shall we get back to Peter?”

“Absolutely,” Tony replied. He wasted no time in opening the door to walk back in with the social worker following him inside. “Hey, buddy, I told you I’d be back.”

Peter looked at Tony and the social worker as if he was trying to figure out just what they were talking about. “So…what’s…I mean…” he tried to say before Tony sat in the chair across from him.

“I know what you’re going to ask,” Tony said holding a hand up to stop Peter, “and I promise, we’ll talk more about that tomorrow. Right now, we’re just going to talk to the doctor, sign some papers, and get you all set, and then we’ll head home. You need some sleep.”

Peter didn’t even bother to question as to whether Tony was talking about the apartment or his penthouse in the Avengers Tower. He could only nod accepting that he and Tony would talk tomorrow. “Okay,” Peter finally said. “Thanks, Mr. Stark.”

“You bet, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnd that’s all for the third chapter, guys! I hope you all enjoyed it! Yes, May planned for Tony to be Peter’s back-up guardian just to be safe! We’ll just have to see how they handle this new change! And I will see you all in the next chapter! Thanks again, guys!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, readers! Welcome back to Raise Me Up! We are on Chapter 4, and Tony finally takes Peter under his care and takes him home. I really hope you all like this one! Thank you so much for the support you’ve given so far, and I really hope you like what comes next! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It honestly felt like an eternity listening to Dr. Bailey and Dr. Becker talk to Tony and the social worker. For some reason, they stayed in the same room they put May in, but Peter couldn’t bring himself to mind it because it was going to be painful when they would eventually have to leave. Peter watched his mentor sign his release papers before he handed them back to the doctor and took the prescription for Peter’s pain medication. After a few more minutes, Tony shook hands and thanked the doctors and the social worker before they turned to Peter giving him their condolences, and Peter managed to snap out of his fog long enough to thank them before they finally left him and Tony alone with May as the social worker mentioned something about a meeting tomorrow.

As soon as they were alone, Tony turned to Peter crouching down next to him clutching his arm. “Whenever you’re ready, kid,” he said quietly. “You call the shots here.”

“I feel like leaving will just…” Peter replied looking at his aunt’s still body, “make it more real.”

Tony sighed as he rubbed Peter’s arm. “I know, buddy,” he said, “but you take as long as you need, okay?”

The rookie superhero nodded as he kept his eyes on May. A part of him wanted to wait and see if maybe she would suddenly wake up and take him home, but the logical part of him knew that wasn’t going to happen. She was gone. She was dead and never going to come back. Tears formed in his eyes again with that thought in his head. As much as he hated crying in front of Tony Stark, he simply bowed his head letting the tears flow freely down his cheeks. He didn’t even try to wipe them away as he reached forward and grabbed May’s hand as Tony rubbed his back.

“I’m sorry, Aunt May,” Peter finally whispered to her. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more to save you. I should’ve. Please forgive me.”

Tony wanted to stop him right there to tell him that it wasn’t his fault. He knew that even before the social worker told him what happened in the accident, but he decided to let Peter finish. These were his last moments with his aunt…the woman who raised him all those years, and he couldn’t ruin that for Peter right now.

“I love you so much, May,” Peter finally spoke up after a moment. “I wish you didn’t leave me so soon, but…I know you’re with Uncle Ben…and Mom…and Dad. I larb you, Aunt May, and I promise, I’ll never forget you…never. I’m going to miss you so much.” He leaned forward without any second thought and kissed her forehead. “I love you, May.”

After another moment of silence, he finally leaned back to face Tony. “Okay, I-I’m ready,” he said with tears.

Tony nodded and stood up helping Peter to his feet. As soon as his mentee was on his feet, he wrapped an arm around him as he took one last look at May mentally promising her—if she could hear it—to take care of her nephew. With that, he slowly guided Peter out of the room. He could tell that the doctor wanted to move her body to the morgue, and he wasted no time in getting Peter out of the room before he could see it. Tony himself went through that experience alone when his parents died, and he did not wish for Peter to go through the same thing.

He moved with Peter by his side quickly through the hallway all the way to the elevator. The rookie superhero was clearly not in the mindset to ask any questions or to engage in conversation, and Tony didn’t dare force him. He remembered being the same way with Obidiah when his parents died all those years ago.

“Happy’s waiting for us in the car,” Tony whispered to Peter once they were alone in an elevator. “We’ll go back to your place and grab a few things, okay? And then we’ll head back to the tower?”

Peter could only nod in reply, which Tony expected.

The billionaire rubbed his arm holding him close by his side. For once, he didn’t know what else to say, but he couldn’t help but feel that maybe the silence was enough for the time being. He didn’t try to reassure Peter at this moment. How could he? The kid’s aunt…his last living relative was suddenly taken away from him in the span of a few hours, and now, he was suddenly placed under someone else’s responsibility. Granted, Peter didn’t know that yet, but Tony prayed that Peter would be able to handle the news when they were to talk tomorrow morning.

The billionaire refused to think about it now. That was for tomorrow. For now, he needed to get Peter to the car and to get the bare essentials for him to take back to the tower. It felt like an eternity before the elevator doors opened on the main floor of the hospital.

“Come on, kid,” Tony whispered to Peter keeping him close. “Happy’s right out front.”

“Okay, Mr. Stark,” Peter replied with little emotion in his voice.

Peter felt as if he was watching himself going through the motions. He wasn’t sure whether or not he was going to pass out on Tony, and he couldn’t bring himself to care. He could only watch his feet move next to Tony’s until he suddenly realized that they finally made it outside, and sure enough, there was a flashy Audi right outside the building. Tony then quickly grabbed the door opening it and gently ushering Peter inside before following him inside.

The billionaire and the teenager saw Happy looking at him in the rearview mirror. However, the head of security didn’t dare say anything to Peter, but Peter could see that he was silently offering his condolences. Although he appreciated it, he couldn’t bring himself other than nod his head.

“Where to, boss?” Happy asked.

“Take us to the apartment, Hap,” Tony replied wrapping an arm around Peter holding him close. “We got to grab some of Peter’s things.”

Happy nodded and wasted no time in turning the car back on and driving away from the hospital.

Peter could only stare off into space. His eyes were burning and puffy from how much he cried, and his body felt as if it was 100 pounds and shaking. The low rumble of the car moving was somehow able to relax him somehow as he slowly sat back in the seat. He briefly acknowledged that the clock in the car read 2:30 AM. He and May got into that car accident around 11:30 and midnight, but to Peter, it felt longer than that. The teen’s eyelids grew heavier as he leaned back against the seat and slowly slid to the right, and immediately, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tony’s knee and jolted back up.

“S-Sorry, Mr. Stark…” he said meekly.

“Kid, come on,” Tony said moving his arm up extending it. “We’ve known each other for almost a year now. I think that warrants you being able to catch some shut-eye on me. Come on, I don’t bite.”

The teen wanted to chuckle and refuse…to try his hardest to stay upright and awake, but sleep kept pulling at him…calling him. His tired body’s needs outweighed his need to maintain a sense of pride, and with that in mind, he slowly inched toward Tony until he was leaning against the billionaire’s side as said billionaire loosely wrapped an arm around the kid’s shoulders.

“Get some sleep, Pete,” Tony whispered. “I’ll wake you up when we get to the apartment.”

Peter nodded and slowly allowed sleep to overtake him.

* * *

Next thing he knew, Peter found himself in the elevator going up to his apartment with Tony beside him. When they arrived, Tony had initially offered to have Happy go grab his things, but he politely refused insisting that he knew where everything was in his room. However, he did ask Tony to come up with him silently telling his mentor that he didn’t want to go up to the apartment alone, and thankfully, Tony didn’t make him say it aloud. So, the mentor and mentee made their way through the hallway. It was late at night, so people were asleep and weren’t around to question why Tony Stark was in the hallway going to an apartment with Peter Parker in the wee hours of the morning. Yes, Tony visited Peter and May a few times, but it was during reasonable hours and when May was around.

As soon as Peter and Tony finally got to the door to the Parker apartment, Peter didn’t say anything as he took out his keys and unlocked the door. He wasn’t sure what he expected when he walked into the apartment, but he saw that it was completely empty. A part of him was expecting May to come out of her room ready to lecture him for walking in so late, but then he remembered…she wasn’t going to be here…she was never going to be. May was gone…dead.

Tears came to his eyes again at that thought, and the pain opened up that void in his heart even more. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going to happen to him now, but he couldn’t bring himself to care about that…at least not now. All he knew was that he probably wasn’t coming back to this apartment for a while, and May wasn’t either.

“You can just pack a few things for tonight and tomorrow, kid,” Tony said jolting him out of his thoughts. “We’ll worry about everything else later.”

Peter didn’t dare to reply afraid that he would burst out crying. Without saying another word, he walked into his room closing the door behind him, and as soon as he closed the door, the teen plopped on his bed face first in his pillow sobbing. His aunt was gone for a few hours…after they had just gone out for a movie night, and his life was already turning upside down. It was bad enough that he had to now live with the fact that he just lost another relative, who had been there for him through thick and thin, but he had no clue what Tony planned to do with him. Was he going to pull him out of school and make him work? Was he going to ship him off somewhere? Was he going to just send him into the system after all? However, the small logical part of him made him realize that Tony wouldn’t have offered to take him home if that was the case, but then again, who could say for sure? With that thought, he let out another sob.

Little did he know that Tony actually perked at the sound of his sobs from the living room, and he slowly walked over to the door he saw the teen walk through and close behind him. He didn’t dare to follow Peter afraid of possibly overwhelming the kid, but the minute he heard the boy crying, he stood up from the couch and came up to the door. His hand went to the doorknob but stopped in mid-air. He had told Peter that they had known each other and had gotten closer over the last 10 months, and they had gone through a lot together. However, none of that ever prepared Tony for somehow comforting this teen he took under his wing when he had just lost a loved one. What could he possibly say…or do? His mentee lost his aunt. What was there to say? Would Peter accept whatever he tried to do to help him or turn him away?

Tony sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair.

 _“This is ridiculous,”_ he thought to himself.

He was Tony Stark…Iron Man! Comforting a teenager he knew should’ve come easy to him, especially someone like Peter Parker when they knew each other as long as they did. He flew a missile into a wormhole above New York. He faced Ultron with the other Avengers. This situation was simple on a much larger scale. Still, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Pete?”

Peter immediately stopped sobbing when he heard his mentor on the other side of the door.

“Pete, can I come in?”

“Uhh…” Peter said as he quickly sat up wiping the tears off his face, “y-yeah…yeah, Mr. Stark, come in.” He quickly grabbed a suitcase from under his bed, and he noted the BFP engraved on the blue suitcase as Tony opened the door and walked in. “Sorry, I’m packing. I’m just trying to figure out what I need, you know? I mean I—”

“Kid,” Tony said cutting him off as he sat down next to his protégé on the bed, “I heard you crying in here.”

Peter was about to respond but stopped before he could say anything else as a blush crept onto his face. He hadn’t meant for Tony to hear him crying. “I-I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” Tony said as he placed a hand on Peter’s back rubbing it. “You’ve had a long day, and you’re upset, exhausted…”

“All of the above,” Peter interjected.

 _“Plus, I have no idea what you plan to do with me…”_ he added mentally.

“Listen, Pete,” Tony finally said after a moment of silence, “if you want, I can pack your stuff for you. You can just tell me what you need.”

Peter sighed as much as he would love to just let someone else do the packing for him, he hated the idea of coming across as this helpless little kid in front of Tony. He had to push down the grief and save it for later…for a different time. “No…no, it’s okay really,” he finally said. “I can do it, but…can you…can you sit in here with me?” Maybe if he had Tony in the room with him, then Peter could focus on getting his things together.

Tony clearly thought the same and nodded.

With that, Peter fished out some clothes from his dresser and closet. He wasn’t sure how long he was going to stay with Tony, so he packed enough necessities for at least a few days. Tony didn’t say anything, which meant he was keeping his word as to them saving the talking for the morning, and Peter didn’t bother to ask.

* * *

“Here you go, kid,” Tony said as he opened the door to the guest room allowing Peter to walk in with his suitcase.

He, Peter, and Happy had just returned to the penthouse on the top floor of Avengers Tower, and Tony immediately guided Peter to the guest room. This was not new to either Peter or Tony. Peter had stayed over for a few weekends with Tony whenever May went away, and he stayed in the guest room.

However, with that very thought, Peter came to that same realization that was repeating again and again ever since the hospital. May wasn’t coming back from a trip. She was dead…and never coming back, and Peter had no idea how long he was going to be staying with Tony. However, for the time being, as soon as Peter laid his eyes on the queen-sized bed in the room, he wanted nothing more than to get some sleep. He even could see that it was 3:30 AM on the digital clock on the nightstand.

“Thanks, Mr. Stark,” Peter said turning to the billionaire.

Tony smiled somewhat and wrapped an arm around Peter. “Get some sleep, kid,” he said gently. “We’ll talk in the morning when I come back from the meeting, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter replied nodding.

“And if you need anything during the night,” Tony added, “you know the drill: have FRIDAY get me.”

Peter gave another small smile to the billionaire. “Noted, Mr. Stark,” he said.

They wished each other good night, and Tony left his mentee alone to go to bed himself. Peter wasted no time in putting his pajamas on and getting ready to sleep in the big, comfy bed. The weight of his grief ached throughout his body as he constantly reminded himself that May was gone…for good, but he ran out of tears to cry for the night and just wanted to sleep…even though doing so would make this nightmare all the more real.

The teen superhero climbed into his bed and let sleep immediately take over subduing his doubt and grief running through his body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd that’s all for Chapter 4! I hope you liked it! Thank you again for the support you’ve all been giving this story and for the nice reviews! I really hope you continue to like what’s next! I’ll see you in the next chapter! I’ll try to keep to a Tuesday and/or Friday update schedule! Thanks again, guys!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, readers! Welcome back to Raise Me Up! I hope everyone out there is staying healthy and safe! We are back with…CHAPTER 5, and we see Tony and Pepper do what they need to do to make sure that Peter is officially placed under Tony’s care. I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tony only slept for a few hours that night, but he felt far from rested. He could feel his heart pounding as Happy drove him and Pepper closer to Child Protection Services. He looked down at his phone and saw no texts from a certain teenager; that brought some relief for the billionaire, as he realized that it was likely that Peter was still asleep.

“How was he last night?” Pepper asked jolting Tony out of his thoughts.

Tony sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. “Upset…shocked…all of the above…” he replied. “He slept through the night fine, but…he’s going to be in for a shock when he wakes up if this meeting goes well.”

Pepper gently wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. “Tony, if you don’t want to do this,” she said, “it’s okay. We can look into other options for P—”

“No…no, I’m doing this, Pep,” he interjected. “I mean…I know I’m not exactly the right guy to take care of a kid, but…I owe it to May…to…to Peter. He needs someone he can trust…someone who can be there for him…someone who knows him...and what he’s going through, and…” he grabbed his left wrist lightly rubbing it, “the idea of Peter going into the system…after knowing him for this long…I-I don’t know…I…”

“You would miss him,” Pepper said for him as she lightly gripped Tony’s hands to calm him down with her free one.

Tony nodded. As painful as it was, he had to admit that Pepper was right. He would miss Peter. The idea of not seeing Peter again…and no more lab days, patrol nights, missions…somehow made his stomach churn and his left arm numb. Peter and Tony had become involved in each other’s lives in less than a year, and right now, Peter needed that.

“It’s more than just what May wanted,” Pepper continued. “You would miss him.”

Tony sighed and shook his head. “As always,” he said quietly, “you’re right.”

“Of course, I am,” Pepper said smiling. “I’ve seen the two of you together, and I know you two will get this figured out and that I will help whenever I can every step of the way.”

“Thanks, Pep,” Tony replied before kissing his fiancée on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Pepper replied softly.

“Hey, guys,” Happy suddenly said interrupting the couple, “we’re here.”

Pepper and Tony looked to see that they had arrived to CPS, and Happy was pulling into a parking spot in front of the building. The veteran superhero took a deep breath.

“Well, it’s now or never,” he whispered.

* * *

The veteran superhero and the CEO of Stark Industries both got off the elevator as soon as the doors opened. Sure enough, when they stepped off, Pepper and Tony found their lawyer, May’s lawyer, and Mrs. Walker the social worker all standing in the waiting room, which was thankfully completely empty. It took everything Tony had to fight the urge to make a sarcastic comment. He couldn’t do that now…not when he was about to be named as the legal guardian of a teenager. One slip of the tongue could send Peter into the system, no matter what May’s will said, and he refused to let that happen. Instead, he gave one of his world-famous smiles.

“Mr. Stark, Miss Potts,” Larry, Tony and Pepper’s lawyer, said as he shook hands with each of them. Larry was a man in his late 50s with jet-black hair and glasses.

“Good morning, Larry,” Tony replied with a small smile on his face.

“I trust that you remember Michael,” Larry gestured to another gentleman standing next to him.

It didn’t take Pepper and Tony long to recognize May’s lawyer. The man had salt and pepper hair and was clearly in his 60s. “It’s good to see you both again,” Michael said. “Larry and Mrs. Walker briefed me on what happened last night. First of all, please extend my condolences to Peter. This must be quite a difficult time for him.”

 _“Difficult doesn’t even begin to cover it,”_ Tony thought to himself.

“Of course, thank you,” Pepper said with diplomacy and tact in her voice. “Peter will appreciate that.”

Michael nodded. Tony remembered meeting May’s lawyer when she named him as Peter’s backup guardian a few months ago, and it was only now, just a day after May’s untimely death, that he realized that this man was all too familiar with the tragedies that had occurred in the 15 years of Peter Parker’s life…his parents dying, his uncle Ben—May’s husband—dying, and now…his aunt dying. He was jolted out of his thoughts when he saw Mrs. Walker standing in front of him.

“Oh, sorry,” Tony suddenly said, “uh…Pepper, this is Danielle Walker, Peter’s social worker. Mrs. Walker, this is my fiancée, Pepper Potts.”

“Very nice to meet you, Ms. Potts,” Mrs. Walker said as she extended her hand to Pepper.

“You as well, Mrs. Walker,” Pepper said. “I hope we can get this all cleared up quickly for Peter’s sake.”

“Indeed, shall we get started?” Mrs. Walker said leading the four of them down a narrow hallway to a conference room.

Tony was the last one to walk in as he stopped at the threshold of the room checking his phone once more. There was no text from Peter or an alert from FRIDAY, which meant that his mentee was probably still sleeping at the penthouse. Once he was sure that Peter wasn’t going to need him, he took a deep breath and walked in sitting next to Pepper and Larry.

“This meeting is being recorded for legal purposes,” Michael began as he placed his phone at the center of the table. “We are here to discuss the will of May Parker, who passed away unexpectedly last night on June 16, 2017 and the custody of her nephew by marriage, Peter Benjamin Parker.”

Tony took a deep breath as everyone went around the table introducing themselves.

* * *

The meeting lasted an hour and a half, and it was fairly easy. Larry believed it was because Tony was named as Peter’s guardian in the will, and Tony was grateful. The easier this was for Peter, the better. Although, that still left him with the hardest part: telling Peter about the meeting, and to say that the billionaire was nervous would be an understatement. Pepper wasn’t kidding when she said that things would be different; it definitely would be…for both of them. He was now in charge of a teenager…and not just a teenager…an enhanced teenager…and Peter was going to have to live with someone else and adjust to a lifestyle he wasn’t that familiar with. Sure, he had stayed with Tony before, but it was only for a few weekends over the course of 10 months.

His left hand began to tremble, but he quickly grabbed it with his right trying to hold it steady again. However, Pepper quickly placed her hand on his relaxing him somewhat as they rode back to the tower with Happy in the driver’s seat.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” Pepper said gently, “but I don’t think Peter will get mad over this. He’s a good kid, and he’s always appreciative of what you’ve done for him.”

“He won’t be happy about this, Pep,” Tony said holding her hand tightly. “His aunt died just last night, and now, I’m coming in with this bomb. I feel like I’m ripping the rug out from under him.”

“No, I’m sure this will be a big adjustment,” Pepper said, “but he’s also smart enough to know that you’re doing this to help him…and that you care about him. And if you want, I can talk to him for you.”

“No…” Tony replied. “I should do it. It would mean more coming from me. I’ll call you if I need back-up though.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “He’s teenager,” she retorted, “not an alien.”

“Exactly.”

* * *

Peter opened his eyes slowly as he roused from his deep sleep and looked around taking in his surroundings. It took him a moment to realize that he wasn’t in his bedroom on 15th Street in Queens. He was in the guestroom at the Avengers Tower in Manhattan. He briefly wondered if he was staying with Tony while May was away, but…that was when he remembered… All the pain…the heaviness…came rushing back… He and May went to see a movie last night, and they got into a car accident. May didn’t make it. She was dead, and Tony Stark came to the hospital and got him out of possibly going into the system. His head immediately began pounding, and he brought his hand up to his head feeling the gauze. He forgot the mild concussion, but he didn’t care at the moment…not when his aunt…his last living relative was dead.

Tears formed in his eyes as he closed them allowing them to stream down his cheeks. “Aunt May…” he whispered sniffling, “please let this be a bad dream.” He sniffled again as he turned over and sobbed into his pillows. “Please…”

* * *

“Well, time to face the music,” Tony said as they stepped into the elevator in the parking garage.

“Let me know if you need me to come up and help,” Pepper said as the elevator started moving, “or let me know that it went well—which it will—once you’re done.”

“Of course,” Tony said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you later.” As soon as he said that, the elevator opened to Stark Industries.

“Okay, I love you,” Pepper replied as she stepped off leaving Tony alone.

“Love you too.”

With one last smile at Pepper, the elevator doors closed as it continued its journey to the penthouse.

“FRIDAY, is Peter awake?” Tony asked his A.I.

“Affirmative, boss,” FRIDAY replied. “Peter woke up about 15 minutes ago. He appears to be in emotional distress.”

Hearing that last statement broke Tony’s heart, and it made him feel somewhat guilty for not being there when Peter woke up. Although, he wasn’t awake for too long, which made the billionaire feel somewhat better.

“I sort of expected that,” Tony said as he looked at the manila envelope in his hands.

Next thing he knew, the elevator doors opened, and Tony walked into the penthouse. The veteran superhero wasted no time in sprinting to Peter’s room. He stopped short and gently knocked so as to not startle the kid.

“Pete, it’s me,” he said. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Peter replied. His voice sounded muffled.

Tony immediately opened the door and allowed his face to fall when he saw what was in front of him. There was Peter curled up in the bed and his face in the pillows.

“Hey, Underoos,” Tony said gently as he walked in and sat down on the bed at Peter’s hip, “sleep well?”

With his face still up against the pillow, Peter nodded. “I guess,” he replied.

Tony sighed somewhat grateful that Peter was able to get through the night. He slowly placed his hand on Peter’s back. “FRIDAY said you just woke up,” he said. He honestly wasn’t sure how he wanted this conversation to go where it needed to go. However, the small talk might help.

“Yeah,” Peter mumbled nodding. He slightly turned his head so that he could look at Tony allowing the latter to see his bloodshot eyes and pale face. His eyebrows furrowed together. “I’m a little fuzzy right now, sorry, but didn’t you have a meeting or something?” He would’ve sat up, but he didn’t want to risk losing Tony’s hand on his back. It kept him grounded for the moment.

“I did,” Tony replied. “I just got back with Pepper.”

“Oh, Miss Potts is here?” Peter asked.

“She’s working downstairs,” Tony said quickly rubbing the kid’s back. “It’s just you and me here, which is good because I need to talk to you about some things.”

Peter propped himself up on his elbow as he looked at Tony feeling his heart beginning to pound. Was this it already? Was Tony going to send him into the system after all? “W-What…kind of things?” he asked.

“Why don’t you freshen up real quick?” Tony suggested. “We can talk more in the living room, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter replied meekly. He silently got out of bed as Tony left him alone to give him privacy.

* * *

Peter brushed his teeth and washed his face before meeting Tony in the living room. He didn’t bother to change out of his pajamas, and he was somewhat relieved when he only saw Tony sitting on the couch. No sign of the social worker. So far, so good.

“Come here, kid,” Tony said patting a spot on the couch next to him, and it was then that he noticed a manila envelope sitting on the coffee table.

“For starters,” Tony said as he picked up the envelope and held it out to Peter, “I want to see these.”

Peter furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion as he took the envelope and opened it taking the papers out and reading the first page. As he read it, Peter’s jaw dropped, and his eyes widened. “So…y-you’re my legal guardian now?” he asked aloud. This wasn’t what he expected…at all.

Tony nodded. So far, so good. It sounded like he was more shocked and not angry. “Well, not officially yet,” he began, “we would have to go to Family Court for a hearing so the judge can approve.”

The teenager looked at Tony trying to see if this was possibly a cruel joke, but when he saw that the billionaire wasn’t laughing or showing any signs, his eyes widened as he turned his sights back to the paperwork in his hands. Tony was actually being serious. He was now Peter’s legal guardian. Tony was now going to keep him here and take care of him…just as May and Ben had done, but that would mean that he would have to change things…be responsible for another human being. It wasn’t that Peter didn’t think he could do it, but maybe Tony felt like he had no choice…like he was obligated to take in this kid, who was his intern. What if Tony eventually decided to back out?

“Mr. Stark, y-you don’t have to do this,” he finally said. “I mean…I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but…”

“It’s what your aunt wanted, kid,” Tony interjected gently, “and quite frankly, I’m not too fond of the idea of you going into the system and—”

“What she wanted?” Peter suddenly asked as he turned back to Tony. He didn’t miss when Tony essentially answered his question as to whether or not he was going into the system, but he was more focused on Tony’s statement that this was what May wanted.

“You didn’t know this at the time,” Tony began, “but a few months ago, she and I met with our lawyers and changed her will so that…if-if anything were to happen, then you would stay…with me.”

“R-Really? You guys never told me…”

“Well, she didn’t want to worry you. I guess, we just…never guessed that the day would actually come.”

Peter stared at Tony and nodded. He didn’t doubt any word of what Tony said, especially when he said that May didn’t want him to worry about naming the billionaire as a guardian should anything happen to her. Of course, she wouldn’t want him to worry about anything happening to her if she suddenly changed her will, but he also understood why she would change it in the first place. Peter had no other relatives, and…she had seen how much he and Tony trusted each other and cared about each other. That clearly would’ve been enough for her to name the billionaire as a guardian for him.

_“They both care very deeply about you…”_

The teen closed his eyes as her words flashed in his mind. It had only been a day, and somehow, their last conversation felt like a lifetime ago.

When Peter didn’t say anything else, Tony decided to take a leap and continue the conversation. “And I…I spoke to the social worker, Pepper, and the lawyers about all this,” he began, “so we’re all set there. The only thing is the social worker—Mrs. Walker—wants to meet with us once a month for a bit just to…you know…check in and see how things are going.”

“Why?” Peter asked furrowing his eyebrows together.

“Well…you know, I’m not exactly the type of person someone would trust to take care of a kid, so…”

If Peter wasn’t so stricken with the heavy weight of grief, he would’ve protested Tony’s statement. He wasn’t stupid. He knew about Tony’s playboy past and his drinking problems. It was on the news for as long as he could remember, but Tony had changed over the years…especially after they first met. In the time they had known each other, Peter saw his stable, healthy relationship with Pepper Potts and never once saw Tony pick up a drink. Why was it so hard for people to see how he changed?

“So, she’s basically checking up on us to see if I need to go into the system…”

“…which we won’t let happen.”

Peter stared at Tony taking in the firmness in his voice when he said that. “Promise?”

“Promise, kid,” Tony said before sighing. “Look, I’m going to be honest with you here. This is new territory for me…for both of us, and with what you just went through…I get it. After my parents died, I…it…” he tried to find the right words, “felt like everything was turned upside down and inside out.”

Peter scoffed. “Understatement of the millennium,” he muttered.

“My point is…” he tried to refocus the teen, “you’re not alone, Pete. It’s going to be a big adjustment for you…”

 _“For me…”_ he added mentally.

“I’m going to be there for you every step of the way…just as I have been these past 10 months. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to learn along the way and work together. We’re going to be the team that we’ve been and get through this.”

Tears formed in his brown eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Stark,” Peter said.

 _“He’s saying this now…”_ Peter thought to himself, _“but what’s going to happen when I piss him off over something or he decides he can’t do this anymore?”_ He never doubted May’s unconditional love, but with Tony…what if he found that he would much rather prefer coming to visit than becoming a guardian full-time?

“But really,” he continued, “if you ever get sick of me…”

“Nuh-uh…never going to happen,” Tony interjected firmly. “Trust me, kid, this is what your aunt wants, and it’s what I want. Remember what I told you when I gave you my number to keep in touch with me? If I didn’t want to offer, I wouldn’t have, and that’s the same thing with this. If I didn’t want you here, it wouldn’t have happened. Got it?”

Peter nodded. He tried to thank Tony, but words were suddenly lost on him as tears suddenly fell instead as the overwhelming grief over his aunt’s death, the appreciation for Tony taking him in now, and all other mixed emotions that had taken over since last night suddenly smacked him in the face. He turned away trying to avoid crying in front of Tony Stark. “I-I’m sorry…I—” he tried to say before succumbing to his tears.

“Hey, hey,” Tony said as he wrapped an arm around the teen holding him close to his side allowing Peter to lean against him shoulder just as he had done before, “it’s okay, buddy. There’s no reason to be sorry.”

Peter tried to answer but couldn’t get the words out. All he could do was just cry at the moment.

Tony clearly sensed this and gently shushed the teen. “Just let it all out, kid,” he whispered gently rubbing his shoulder. It broke his heart to see his mentee crying like this…out of grief.

“I…I miss her so much…” Peter said in between sobs. It had only been a day since the accident, and he already missed his aunt like crazy. Knowing that he was never going to see her again…that they would never get to go to the movies together anymore…that she would never get to hug him or kiss him on the forehead…that he just lost his last living relative…made his heart ache so badly.

Tony didn’t say anything as he closed his eyes trying to figure out what else he could say or do, but the truth was…there weren’t any words or actions that could fix May’s untimely death. He knew that better than anyone. He didn’t have much of a relationship with his father, but knowing that he missed out on the chance to tell Howard how much he loved him…that guilt would never leave him. Missing his mother…made his heart ache for her, and to add insult to injury, his pain was increased tenfold when he learned the truth about his parents’ deaths in Siberia…from a HYDRA agent. The old wounds reopened tenfold, and he had to grieve the losses all over again. It wasn’t a walk in the park.

“I know…I know, kid,” Tony said as he gently rubbed Peter’s shoulder. “Oh God, I’m so sorry…”

Peter continued to sob as he turned around to bury his face in his shoulder. “This all feels like a crazy dream,” he said. “I—I—” He succumbed to his tears yet again.

“I know…I know, kid,” Tony whispered again. What else could he possibly say? Peter’s last living relative was dead. There was nothing that could undo what had happened. “God…I…I don’t know what else to say. It’s…It’s a shitty situation, but, kid, I promise…you’ll get through this. I’ll get you through this. Somehow…some way, we’ll get though this…together.”

Peter nodded…not trusting himself to speak without bursting out crying. He trusted Tony implicitly, and he knew that Tony would hardly lie to him, especially now. He slowly brought his hand up and lightly grasped Tony’s shirt, and he stiffened when Tony placed his hand on his thinking he was going to push it away and saying that he was crossing a boundary. Instead, he just rested his hand on top of his keeping it in place.

“Do you…do you have any questions, Pete?” Tony asked after a moment of silence. “Is there…I mean…anything you don’t get right now?”

Peter was about to say no, but he stopped. Tony explained that he was now his legal guardian, but there was one thing they forgot to cover. “Umm…w-what about…umm…” he began pulling away to make eye contact with the billionaire, “what about…M-May’s…funeral…? I mean…do you want me to…?” He couldn’t finish that question.

“Don’t worry, buddy,” Tony replied rubbing Peter’s back. “Pepper and I will take care of it. You can help if you’re up to it, but I’m not putting you under that pressure.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Okay, thanks, Mr. Stark.”

“You’re welcome. Now,” Tony stood up, “you need to eat something. How about some breakfast?”

Peter nodded. Now that he was thinking about it, he was pretty hungry. “Umm…do you mind if I call my friend, Ned real quick?” he asked. “I should let him know what’s going on.”

“Sure, bud,” Tony said. “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnd that’s all for Chapter 5, everyone! I’m hoping to get the next chapter up on Friday! I hope you all enjoyed it! You can also find me on Tumblr on @lbigreyhound13 if you want to talk more about this story! Don’t forget to comment! Thanks, guys! See you in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, readers! Welcome back to Raise Me Up! We are back with CHAPTER 6! Peter breaks the sad news to Ned, and Tony decides to get Peter out of the tower for the day! I hope you all like this one!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Peter closed the door behind him leaving it open ajar not wanting Tony to think that he didn’t trust him. He grabbed his phone and looked for Ned’s number, and as soon as he saw it, he tapped it and brought it to his ear listening to it ring.

“Hey, man, what’s up?” Ned finally said after two rings.

“Uhh…I got to talk to you, you got a sec?” Peter asked worried that he might’ve interrupted something or woken him up.

“Of course, don’t forget: I’m your guy in the chair,” Ned replied.

Peter chuckled. Between Tony’s comfort and consolation and Ned’s humor, he could face a sense of grounding in the tragedy, and he welcomed it with open arms. “Uhh…well…Ned…” he finally tried to say. Tears began to form again as he took a shaky breath.

Ned must’ve sensed it. “Peter, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Umm…” Peter took a deep breath trying to find the words. How was he supposed to tell his best friend that his aunt was dead? “S-Something…something happened last night…M-May and I…we…went to the movies last night…” He took a deep breath as tears streamed down his face, and Ned didn’t say anything giving him a chance to continue. However, Peter could tell that he was getting anxious. “We…uhh…we got in an accident last night…s-some guy rammed into us from the side…”

“Shit…are you…are you guys okay? W-Where are you now? Are…are you and May at the hospital? W-What--?”

“Ned…Ned…slow down…” Peter quickly said. “I…I’m okay, b-but…May…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it, but he knew he had to. “Ned…May didn’t make it.”

“Holy shit…aw, Peter…dude…” Ned replied. “I…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.” There was a moment of silence as Ned sighed. “W-Wait, where are you right now? Are you at the hospital? D-Do you need my mom to pick you up?”

“Uhh…” Peter said trying his hardest to not break down sobbing, “actually, I’m at the Avengers Tower. I was at the hospital last night, and a social worker tried to take me. But I didn’t want to leave her, and she let me call someone. I called Mr. Stark, and he picked me up.”

“Wait…are you serious?” Ned asked. “You’re with Tony Stark?”

Peter chuckled again. “Yeah…”

“Dude, that’s…that’s—I mean I want to say it’s awesome,” Ned replied, “but given what happened…you know what I mean!”

Peter laughed yet again through his tears and sniffed. “Don’t worry, man,” he replied. “I-I know what you meant, but…uhh…that’s not all. Mr. Stark and I were just talking, and…he told me that he’s my legal guardian now.”

“Double holy shit…” Ned said quickly. “Iron Man took you in?!”

“Yeah…uh…he told me that May named him as my guardian in her will…in case…you know…”

“Well, that’s…great! I mean you know…not…great, but you don’t have to go…you know…into the system. That’s amazing he took you in.”

Yeah, it…it is, don’t get me wrong.”

Ned, being the best friend and guy in the chair he was, sensed the sadness and nervousness in his voice. “What’s wrong, Peter?” He knew exactly what it was, but he wanted to hear Peter say it…to not hide it.

“I-I’m glad Mr. Stark took me in, Ned, and he said that this is what both he and May wanted. It’s just…I don’t want Mr. Stark…to feel like he has to do this, you know, or…regret it…you know?”

Ned sighed. “Peter,” he began, “look, you and Mr. Stark have been buddy-buddy for a while now. If he didn’t want to take you in, he wouldn’t have. Hell, he wouldn’t have agreed to be your guardian. He probably would’ve told May to forget it, and there’s no way she could do it without him knowing about it.”

Peter quickly realized that Ned had a point. A will was a legal document, and May wouldn’t have made Tony his guardian without him agreeing to it. It sounded like it didn’t work that way. Not only that but Tony had said so himself. If he didn’t want Peter, he wouldn’t have gone through with this. “I guess you’re right,” he finally said.

“Of course, I am,” Ned said, “and trust me, May had to have known what she was doing when she picked him.”

Peter smiled sadly at the mention of his aunt. “Yeah, that’s true…” he finally said. “She always knew what to do.”

“It’s going to be okay, Peter,” Ned said. “Umm…is it okay if I tell my mom? She’s going to want to know all the…details.”

“Uhh…y-yeah, yeah,” Peter replied. “I’ll let you know what the plan is. Mr. Stark is going to take care of all that.”

“Okay, keep me posted,” Ned said. “Do you want me to tell MJ?”

“No, that’s okay,” Peter replied. “I can call her later today.”

“Hey, Pete!” Tony called from the kitchen. “Food’s ready!”

“Coming!” Peter called back. “I gotta go. I’ll text you later.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Ned replied. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks, man,” Peter said smiling a little. “Talk to you later.”

“Okay, bye,” Ned said.

“Bye,” Peter then hung up the phone before walking out to join Tony for breakfast. As he came back into the living room, he saw Tony in the kitchen on the phone himself as he placed two plates of food on the counter.

“Yeah, I’m going to see if he’s up to it,” he heard Tony say on the phone. “I haven’t heard anything from the hospital yet, but as soon as I know something, we can make the arrangements.” He paused as Peter walked over following the scent. “Yeah, I’ll keep you posted. Okay, love you too. Bye.”

“Pepper?” Peter asked as he sat down in front of a plate of pancakes, bacon, and hash browns.

“Yeah,” Tony said pouring some juice into two glasses for him and Peter, “she just wanted to check in and see how things were going and how you were doing. She said that she’d be back later today to check on you.”

Peter nodded as he sat down and began to dig into the pancakes and took the juice. “She’s okay with me staying here, right?”

Tony furrowed his eyebrows together as he sat down next to Peter. “Of course, she is,” he replied. “You know her, and she loves you.”

“I know, but that was when I just came over to stay for a weekend or to work in the lab or to go out to eat. Not to stay here, you know?”

“Kid, I promise you, it’s no trouble at all,” Tony replied with a hand on the teen’s shoulder. “I want you here, and Pepper wants you here. She’s completely onboard with this, and even if she wasn’t, I would still do it…for your aunt…and for you.”

Peter smiled as his confidence increased within. Between Tony’s reassuring words and Ned’s own heartfelt speech, he could easily see that there was truth behind this…that Tony really did want to take him in and to give him a place to stay and to help him through this tragedy.

“Thanks, Mr. Stark,” he finally said. “Really.”

“You’re welcome, kiddo,” Tony replied. “Did you have a chance to talk to Ned?”

“Yeah,” Peter said after swallowing more of his food, “I told him what was going on. His mom is going to want to know the details, so I said I would keep him posted.”

“Don’t worry. Pepper and I will take care of all that. All you would need to do is make sure you tell the people you would want to know, but we’re not worrying about that today.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you and I are going to go on a field trip today.”

“What? Where?”

“Upstate.”

“Upstate? Like… _upstate_ upstate?” There was only one place Peter could think of that was upstate and why Tony would want to go there. He had been there once before when Tony asked him to join the Avengers.

“The only upstate there is, kid,” Tony replied leaning back in the chair smiling at Peter’s excitement.

Peter rolled his eyes in response. “But seriously, you really want me to come?” he asked. “I won’t be in the way of anything?”

“Peter, you’re never in the way,” Tony replied gently, “and besides, I’m just going to visit Rhodey and Vision. I need to check on Rhodey, and I would also like Dr. Cho to check on your head just to be on the safe side and to modify your pain meds.” Tony wouldn’t admit it out loud, but it ached that Bruce had gone missing after the battle with Ultron. He immediately knew that the doctor would’ve loved Peter, and Peter would’ve been so excited to meet Dr. Banner himself. Hopefully, one day, Bruce would come back and bring back a little more normalcy…if normalcy were to ever return given the Accords debacle.

Peter brought his hand to the gauze wrapped around his head. He had honestly forgotten about the injury on his head from the accident. “Okay,” he replied.

“Good,” Tony replied, “so as soon as we’re done eating, you can get dressed, and then we’ll head out.”

“Sounds good, Mr. Stark,” Peter said giving the billionaire a thumbs-up.

“And that’s something we got to work on,” Tony quickly added.

“Huh?” Peter asked with a mouthful of pancakes.

“I’ve been trying to get you to call me Tony for a few months now,” Tony replied, “but now that you’re living here, I’m making it mandatory. Call me Tony.”

Peter chuckled and rolled his eyes. The veteran superhero wasn’t lying about that one fact; he had been trying to get Peter to call him by his first name for the past few months. The rookie superhero had tried to call his mentor ‘Tony,” but he gave up after the first few tries because it felt way too weird. So, he always stuck with “Mr. Stark.”

“I can try, Mr. Sta—”

“Ah-ah!”

“Fine…I can try, Mr. Sta—Tony,” it didn’t feel so weird right then, “but I can’t make any promises.”

Tony smiled back in pride hearing Peter use his first name. “That’s all I ask,” he said.

* * *

As soon as Tony and Peter finished breakfast, cleaned up, and Peter got dressed, the billionaire took his protégé down to the garage littered with Tony’s Audis. He led Peter to his orange one, and they both hopped in with Tony in the driver’s seat. Happy had offered to drive them, but Pepper and Tony insisted that it would be best for Peter if it were just the two of them. Plus, Pepper and Happy would be able to go back to Peter and May’s apartment to grab more of Peter’s things.

“So, listen, about Monday, I know it’s your last day of school,” Tony began as they left the city, “but it’s entirely up to you as to whether or not you want to go. Pepper and I are probably going to have everything happen in the middle of the week, but if you would rather miss the last day and stay home, we can do that.”

Peter thought about it for a moment. There was a part of him that wouldn’t mind missing the last day and spending time with Tony during the day, but another part of him needed the distraction for a couple hours. Not that he didn’t appreciate what Tony was doing for him, but school offered a sense of familiarity in spite of what happened in the span of less than 24 hours. Plus, it would be great to see Ned and MJ.

“I…I think I want to go to school,” Peter said. “I mean…it’s only for a couple hours. Plus, we’ll get our yearbooks, and I’ll get to see Ned and MJ if that’s okay.”

“Of course, it’s okay,” Tony said incredulously frequently diverting attention between Peter and the road. “In all honesty, I think May would want you to go to school.”

Peter looked at his hands on his lap nodding. Tony was right. May wouldn’t want him to miss out on his last day of school for her…unless of course it was an emergency of some sort, but in this case, she wouldn’t want him to sit on a couch all day. That was what she told him when Uncle Ben died almost two years ago. The memory flashed in his mind.

* * *

_“May, please don’t send me to school,” Peter said as he sobbed in her arms. They sat together on their living room couch. “I…I can’t…I don’t know if I could just go and pretend nothing happened.”_

_It had only been two days since Ben had been shot and killed in front of Peter on that one fateful Friday night, and now it was Sunday night, which meant that Peter had to go back to school the next day._

_“Baby, I know,” May said hugging Peter even tighter, “but you have to. I don’t want you to sit here all day. It’s not good for you. You need to distract yourself.”_

_“How can I when Uncle Ben’s gone?” Peter asked._

_“Because I know him,” May replied running a hand through Peter’s curls, “and I know your uncle would want us to live our lives and to not be sad all the time. Ben would want you to go to school tomorrow and face the day like the strong kid he knew you are…the strong kid I know you are…”_

_The teenager didn’t dare to reply as he hugged May tighter allowing the tears to stream down his face._

* * *

“Yeah, I think so too,” Peter said as the memory faded into the back of his mind.

Tony gave Peter a sad smile and reached over the console patting him on the shoulder. “But if you ever change your mind and want to stay home,” Peter mentally noted that Tony referred to the penthouse as home, “just say the word, kiddo.”

“Thanks, Mr. Stark,” Peter replied. He mentally kicked himself for not referring to Tony by his first name, but Tony must’ve decided to let it slide for the moment. “Umm…speaking of school…what’s…I mean…aren’t you supposed to be selling the tower at some point?”

“I thought about it,” Tony answered, “and Pepper and I decided not to go through with it. We liked having something in the city. Plus, you and I have been spending a lot of time in the lab recently, and we’ll have more of a reason to use it now.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, besides, you’re not going to be able to commute to school from upstate. That’s crazy.”

Well, that indirectly answered Peter’s question about what was going to happen in terms of him going to school. Peter smiled again. “Yeah, that’s true,” he said. With a sigh, he leaned back resting his head on the headrest. “It just feels so surreal, you know? Last night, I was with her, you know? She was there with me, and now…today…and now, I’m going to school without her around.”

“Unfortunately, kiddo, that’s what happens,” Tony finally said after a moment of silence. “One minute you’re here, and then in just a split second…” He couldn’t finish it as he thought of the day he lost his parents…how one minute they were in their living room together, and then next thing he knew, Tony got a phone call that his parents were gone.

Peter sighed. “They said she died instantly,” he said looking out the window. “I was…talking to her as if she was just unconscious. It’s so stupid…I should’ve realized…”

“It’s not stupid, kid,” Tony quickly interjected. “You were in an accident. You were knocked out. You weren’t thinking clearly.”

“I guess,” Peter replied. He supposed that Tony was right. Even though it was just last night, it all happened so fast, which made it harder to piece things together, but he remembered waking up in the car after the fact.

“No ‘I guess,’” Tony said firmly. “It’s the truth, buddy.” Quite frankly, he was somewhat relieved that Peter found out later that May died in the accident. The doctor mentioned to him last night that Peter could show signs of survivor’s guilt as he was the only one to survive, and if he saw that his aunt was dead, that would’ve made things worse. He remembered the video of his parents and…his knuckles tightened on the steering wheel as he thought of Barnes…the Winter Soldier killing his father, moving his body back into the car…right in front of his mother…before ending her life as well.

Peter was about to say something else when he noticed Tony’s white knuckles on the steering wheel. “Mr. Stark?” he tried. “Tony? Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine, Peter,” he replied. “Just…thinking about something. That’s all.”

Thankfully, Peter decided not to push him to talk more and simply leaned back against the seat enjoying the smooth ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd that’s all for Chapter 6, folks! I know it’s a little short, but the next one should be longer. I really hope you all enjoyed this one! Thank you so much for all the support! See you all in the next chapter! Don’t forget to look for me on Tumblr!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, readers, and welcome back to Raise Me Up! I’m sorry this is a day late, I lost power the other day, and couldn’t really finish typing the chapter in time. Thankfully, it came back today, and I was able to finish it! Here is CHAPTER 7! Tony and Peter arrive at the compound to spend the day with Rhodey and Vision! It’s another short chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tony stole a glance at Peter, who ended up falling asleep a few minutes later, and he couldn’t help but smile just a little. After everything the teen had gone through, he deserved a little nap. The veteran superhero sighed. The whole morning, he was keeping calm on the outside for Peter’s sake, but on the inside, he was freaking out. He was now charged with the care of Peter Parker…a kid who just lost his last living relative. Granted, again, he had known Peter, and Peter knew him. However, he was the kid’s guardian now…a parent. Was he capable?

So far, things were going okay…sort of. He and Peter talked about the meeting, and Peter took it well…as well as any grieving teenager could. Whether he was glad that he didn’t have to go into the system or that his mentor took him in…or both, Peter showed his appreciation while also trying to process his aunt’s death, but Tony knew that he was right. Peter needed someone he trusted, just as he told the social worker…just as May told him months ago…after the kidnapping incident.

* * *

_“May, I-I don’t know…” Tony said as he looked between her and Peter, who was sound asleep in the bed next to him in the Med Bay._

_“Tony,” May said cutting him off, “don’t you see how much you mean to him? He trusts you…implicitly. He cares about you…just as you care about him.”_

_“Of course, I care about him,” Tony reaffirmed, “but…”_

_“But…?” May asked urging him to continue._

_“I’m not exactly…parent/guardian material. I never really was…”_

_May chuckled as she perched herself on the foot of Tony’s bed. “How do you think my husband and I felt when Richard and Mary named us as Peter’s guardians in their will? We obviously never expected anything to happen to them, but we were scared out of our minds. We didn’t think we’d be good guardians for Peter. We didn’t have any children of our own, and before they died, Rich and Mary brought Peter over for us to watch for a few hours.”_

_Tony didn’t dare say a word allowing May to continue._

_“And then we realized that we would do anything for Peter, and that we only would’ve needed to try our best to care for him and love him, which we already did.” May smiled at the veteran superhero. “And you just said you care about him. You gave him a new suit with all these fancy gadgets and gizmos. You took his suit away when you felt he was getting in over his head. You’ve been mentoring him, training him, and supporting him for almost a year. He talks to you about things and asks for advice.”_

_Tony released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He had no idea May viewed him in this light._

_“And let’s not forget that you just fought tooth and nail to save him and to get the both of you out of there not too long ago.”_

_“Well, I mean, there was no way I was going to let anything happen to him. All I could think about was getting Peter out of there.” Everything else she had mentioned…he didn’t think much of it. All he knew when he first discovered this vigilante on Youtube was that he needed an upgrade…an assurance of safety, and the more time he spent with Peter…all the way from Germany to the Vulture incident, the more he came to care about the kid and to want to support him. He didn’t think much of it. Perhaps, there were a few times, especially during the Vulture situation where his actions confused him but only because he never acted like that before. All in all, Tony never once thought to make himself a parental figure to Peter. He just sort of did everything he did…all because he cared about the kid._

_“That’s why I want to do this,” May finally said. “He trusts you, Tony, and I know he cares about you just as you care about him. If…anything happens, I want you to be the one, who’s there for him.”_

_Tony looked at May for a long minute before looking away in deep thought, and May could see that he was heavily considering what she said. “Please, Tony,” she said. “There’s no one else…but you.”_

_Tony gave her a small smile and nodded. “I’d be honored, May,” he said._

* * *

Tony smiled as the memory faded back into his mind. He realized he was right when he told Peter that he and May never anticipated this day coming so fast and so soon…too soon. However, May’s confidence and trust eased his nerves somewhat, but now that it was happening…it still made his heart pound knowing that Peter would be under his care officially in probably a number of days. He then took another glance and couldn’t help but smile at his…ward…mentee…kid…sleeping soundly. Somehow, they were going to get through this.

* * *

“Peter…Peter, wake up,” a voice…a very familiar voice said softly.

Peter did as the voice said and opened his eyes only to see Tony smiling at him, and he couldn’t help but smile in return. “Yeah?” he asked.

Tony gestured with his head telling Peter to look out his window. “We’re here,” he replied.

The teen did what he was told and looked out the passenger window, and sure enough, he saw that they were parked in front of the Avengers’ compound. They finally arrived! He turned to look at Tony smiling and then back at the building. Peter had been to the compound a few times over the past year, but it never failed to make his heart pound to see the building that served as the headquarters for Earth’s mightiest heroes looming over him…up this close. Despite the events that occurred in Germany, it was an amazing feeling for a teenaged boy.

“So, do you want to sit in the car all day staring or do you want to go in?” Tony asked with a smile on his face.

“Oh no, no, we should go in,” Peter said quickly unbuckling his seat belt and opening the car door.

Tony couldn’t help but chuckle as he followed suit after turning off the car. “We’ll head to the MedBay first,” he said as he led Peter into the building. “Dr. Cho is waiting for us there, and she and I can work on the pain medication to work with your metabolism. Then we can meet up with Rhodey and Vision.”

Peter quickly noticed that Tony only referred to only two of his fellow Avengers. Tony briefly mentioned once that Black Widow went on the run…after she let Captain America and his team go at the airport in Germany, and Peter always felt that this was hard for the billionaire to talk about and never pressed the issue. He knew that the Black Panther went back to Wakanda. However, there was one Avenger in particular that Tony hardly mentioned.

“Still no luck in tracking down Dr. Banner?” Peter asked as they walked in.

Tony shook his head. “Nope,” he replied. “He’s been gone ever since the whole Hulk incident when we fought Ultron, kid. As of now, I don’t think he wants to be found, especially after the whole thing with the Accords.” Natasha had said so herself.

_“You really think he’d be on our side right now?”_

Right, Peter had forgotten about that. It was the whole reason the Avengers turned against each other in the first place…on top of the Winter Soldier being accused of various crimes, and if that was the case, he could understand why Tony wouldn’t want to try to find Bruce Banner…also known as the Hulk…with the Accords. Bruce might not have been able to control the Hulk at least not completely, and there was no doubt that Ross and the government would jump on that.

“Maybe once things calm down, Dr. Banner can finally come back,” Peter said after a moment of silence.

Tony smiled as he led the teenager superhero into the MedBay. “Your optimism never ceases to amaze me, kid,” he said, “but I think it may be a while before this Accords shit is resolved for good.”

“Well, whatever happens with that, Tony,” Peter said, “you know I got your back.”

Tony smiled yet again, and before he could say anything else, a female voice interrupted them.

“Stark, good to see you again,” Dr. Cho said as she walked up to them.

“You too, Helen,” Tony said wrapping an arm around Peter. “You remember Peter, right?”

“Of course,” Dr. Cho said looking to the teenager standing next to Tony, “it’s good to see you again, Peter.”

“You too, Dr. Cho,” Peter replied.

“Tony told me what happened last night,” she said with a frown. “I’m very sorry about your aunt.”

The teenaged superhero nodded sadly. “Thank you,” he replied.

“Let’s step into my lab,” Dr. Cho said with a small smile, “and we can take a look at that head of yours.”

With that said, Peter and Tony followed the doctor down the hall to her office.

* * *

The checkup went well! Thanks to Peter’s enhanced healing, the cut on his head had already begun to heal overnight much to their delight, and Dr. Cho and Tony were able to modify his pain medication to work with his metabolism. Once that was taken care of, Peter and Tony thanked Dr. Cho and ventured out of the MedBay and went to find Rhodey and Vision, and thankfully, it didn’t take very long. The veteran and the rookie found Rhodey exercising and Vision reading a book on a couch nearby in case the former needed some help.

“Hey, honeybear! Vision!” Tony said as he led Peter into the gym. “You remember Peter?”

“Hello, Tony,” Vision said looking up from his book to direct his attention to Tony and Peter.

“Hey, guys,” Rhodey said as he looked over his shoulder before turning back to his exercise on the leg-curl machine.

“Hey, Col. Rhodes, Vision,” Peter said giving them a small smile and a wave, “good to see you guys again.”

“One of these days, I’m going to get you to call me Rhodey, kid,” Rhodey replied.

“I’m still trying to get him to call me Tony,” Tony replied. “We’ll have to swap ideas on how to do that.”

The two best friends laughed as Peter rolled his eyes. He had met Rhodey and Vision before, and seeing how Tony and Rhodey acted around each other was always a clear sign as to how far back their friendship went and how much they trusted each other. It almost reminded him of his long-time friendship with Ned, and it also provided some relief that his new guardian at least had some friends from the Avengers to support him, especially a long-time friend like Rhodey.

“So, Rhodes, why don’t we head down to the lab?” Tony asked after a moment of silence. “I can take a look at those braces.”

“Sure thing,” Rhodey replied as he walked over to Tony patting him on the shoulder.

“Can I come?” Peter asked with eagerness in his voice.

“Uh…actually, kid, why don’t you stay up here with Vision?” Tony quickly said before Rhodey could have a chance to respond. “This is going to be quick, and I need to talk to him about something, okay?”

Tony felt his heart slightly break when he saw the eagerness leave Peter’s face. He hoped that he wasn’t taking it personally.

“Oh…yeah, okay, sure,” Peter said quickly.

“We won’t be long,” Tony reassured. “I promise.”

“Tell you what, buddy,” Rhodey said moving closer to the teenager, “why don’t you and Vision set up one of our video games in the common room? We can play when Tony and I come back up.”

Thankfully, the smile returned to Peter’s face as he nodded. “Sure, sounds like a plan,” he said.

Tony gave a small smile in return. “Have FRIDAY get me if you need anything, okay?”

“You got it, Mr.—uh…Tony.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just note the kidnapping incident that they keep referring to is going to be in my Iron Dad oneshot series! I haven’t gotten to it yet, but it will come. Just know that that is what made May convinced that Tony would be a good guardian for Peter. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be up on Friday, and we’ll get to see what Tony and Rhodey talk about! Thank you all so much for the support and the lovely feedback! I hope you all continue to like the story! Until next time, stay safe and healthy! Thanks again, guys!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovely readers! And welcome back to Raise Me Up! We are finally on Chapter 8! We get to see what Rhodey and Tony talk about and a little bonding time for Peter and Vision! I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

From the minute Tony told Peter that he needed to talk to Rhodey, the latter knew that something was amiss. He had only seen Peter a few times around the holidays or whenever Peter stayed over at the tower, and based on those few times, Peter and Tony were almost always in the lab together…even when Rhodey had Tony look at his leg braces. The colonel and the billionaire had known each other for a long time, and it didn’t take long for Rhodey to sense that something was up. However, for about fifteen minutes after getting down to the lab, Tony still wasn’t saying anything. All he did was mumble to himself as he removed Rhodey’s braces from his legs, so Rhodey took it as a cue to say something.

“So…uh…you have something you want to tell me?” the colonel finally asked.

“Why would you think I have something to tell you?” Tony retorted. Rhodey was right. There was something he wanted to tell his best friend…something about a will and how he was now in charge of a certain teenager, but he wasn’t sure how to bring it up. His only course of action was to tinker with his leg braces…blaming himself more and more for allowing this to happen in Germany.

“Because you’re doing that thing where you look like you’re about to explode,” Rhodey replied, “and you just told your junior lab partner that you wanted to come down here alone.”

Tony closed his eyes. He should’ve known that Rhodey would instantly pick up on the fact that something was up when he told Peter not t join him. The billionaire sighed after a moment. “Where do I even begin?” he asked.

“From the beginning…”

Tony chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Okay…well…uh…” he turned to where Rhodey was sitting and sat down across from him, “it’s about the kid.”

“What about him?” Rhodey asked.

“Ummm…” Tony ran a hand through his hair, “he…and his aunt…May…ummm…they were driving home last night and…got in a car accident.” He wasn’t looking directly at his best friend, but he could feel the colonel’s eyes on him and the wheels turning in his head. Peter was here, but where was May? “The other driver ran through his red light…and…crashed into them, and May…didn’t…she didn’t make it.”

“Aw…shit…” Rhodey said. He exhaled. “How’s he doing?”

“Not great,” Tony replied. “I mean…he’s fine now, but last night…Rhodey, he was so drained…and…sad…” he exhaled, “I-I had never seen him like that before, you know?”

“Well, you know better than anyone what it’s like…the grief,” Rhodey added after a moment.

“Yeah,” Tony replied staring at his hands, “but I didn’t handle it well at all. Not to mention, I was 21. Peter is going to be 16 in a couple months, and he lost his living relative.”

Rhodey nodded. He remembered all too well what the following days were like after Howard and Maria died that night for Tony. He was a mess, and he tried his hardest to hide it. However, no matter how Tony tried to avoid his grief and hide it from others, Rhodey was always able to see it. “So…not that I’m trying to steer away from how Peter is handling this,” he began, “but…how do you fit into all this?” He had a feeling that he knew the answer, but he needed to hear it from Tony.

“Well, for starters,” Tony replied as he sat back in his chair, “he called me from the hospital and told me what happened, and I went to get him. A social worker was there ready to put him in the system.”

Slowly but surely, the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. “And I’m guessing that’s not what happened,” Rhodey finally said prompting Tony to continue.

“Nope,” he looked at his best friend. “Remember that thing May asked me about a few months ago?”

“Yeah, but you never really bothered to explain what that was.”

Tony took a deep breath. “She…uh…she asked me if she could name me as Peter’s guardian…in her will…in case…you know…” He still couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.

Rhodey widened his eyes. “You serious?”

The billionaire didn’t say anything as he looked at the colonel.

“Wow…I-I mean…that’s…wow…so, now, you’re Peter’s guardian?”

“In the eyes of the state, temporarily, but once we have a court hearing and all goes well, the judge will grant it permanently. It’s not necessarily adoption, but it means that I will be able to take care of him for good. The social worker only wants to meet with Peter and me once a month to see how things are going for a while.”

“No wonder you look so freaked out. This is huge…”

“Yep,” Tony sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, “I’m scared out of my mind, Rhodes.”

“I don’t blame you, Tones. It’s…going to be different…a lot different.”

“No shit…and I know I’ve known Peter for a while and that we trust each other and are familiar with each other and that he’s stayed over with me before and all that…but, Rhodey…I….I don’t know how to raise a teenager. Given my history alone, I’m not someone who could be trusted to take care of another human being. I mean…w-what if I…become like Howard? Or what if…what if I screw up and the social worker says I’m not fit for this? I could lose him, Rhodey, and we would never see each other again. He would never see his friends again most likely.”

“Hey, hey, Tones, take it easy,” Rhodey said reaching forward trying to calm his best friend. “It’s okay to be scared. In fact, I’d be concerned if you weren’t scared. That already shows how much you care about Peter and that you want what’s best for him, and all those upgrades you’ve given him…all the hours you’ve dedicated to spending time with him over the past year…the tough love you gave him…if that doesn’t show how much you care about the kid and want to do right by him, then I don’t know what is.”

“But it’s not raising him. All of those things I did while May was alive. I mean…we co-parented—I guess—occasionally when it was needed, but May…she handled that. I was Peter’s mentor…someone who spent time with him occasionally.”

Rhodey realized that Tony had a valid point. Tony might’ve acted like a parent or mentor to Peter, but that was quite different from actually being a parent or a guardian in May’s case. “Okay, fair,” he began, “but let me ask you something. How did May feel about Peter?”

“He was her entire world,” Tony replied while having no idea as to why Rhodey was asking him this and where he was going with this. “She and Ben took care of him after his parents died, and they loved him like he was their own son. He was all she had after her husband died. She told me that she refused to let anything happen to Peter.”

“Okay, now, think about it this way,” Rhodey continued. “If May didn’t trust you to be a good mentor to Peter, what do you think she would’ve done?”

“She probably would’ve put a stop to it,” Tony answered simply. “She would’ve made sure he had nothing to do with me.”

“Right,” Rhodey replied, “but she never did, which means she trusted you to keep her nephew…her entire world…safe whether he was out there as Spider-Man or staying over with you for the weekend. Tony, she wouldn’t have named you as a guardian if she didn’t think you could handle it.”

Tony stared at Rhodey before looking away again only to realize that Rhodey was indeed right. May cared about Peter. She loved him more than anything, and she did everything in her power to make sure that he had a good life and was happy. It made sense that she would’ve done something if she didn’t think that Tony was a good mentor to Peter, and then his mind flashed back to his conversation with May a few months ago.

_“He trusts you, Tony…and I know he cares about you just as you care about him…”_

She was always able to see that Tony cared about her nephew, and that and all they had been through together was enough for her. With that thought, some confidence grew inside of him, but it came to a halt when one question came to mind.

“But what if I screw up with him?”

“Then you learn from it and keep going. There’s going to be all kinds of bumps in the road, buddy, but knowing you, you’ll get through it. And you’re not going to be alone. You have Pepper, Happy, even Vision, and me. We’re going to be there for you guys no matter what.”

The billionaire smiled feeling his confidence growing a little more. “Thanks, Rhodes,” he said.

Rhodey smiled in return. “Anytime. You would do the same for me.”

“Yeah, I guess I would,” Tony said as he stood up from his chair and continued to work on his best friend’s braces. “So, you think of anything else I can add to these?”

* * *

“You know, I still can’t believe you used to be Mr. Stark’s AI,” Peter said as he set up the gaming system at the TV as Vision sat on the couch behind him.

“Ah, yes, I remember my time as JARVIS quite fondly,” Vision replied with a small smile. “Although, he hardly ever listened to my suggestions to test his new inventions and upgrades.”

Peter couldn’t help but chuckle at Vision’s comment. “He barely listens to FRIDAY,” he replied earning a chuckle from Vision. “Don’t tell him I said that, by the way.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Vision replied. “Are you spending the weekend with Tony again?”

Peter felt his blood run cold at the question. He knew Vision meant well, but it also became clear that Tony didn’t inform the remaining Avengers as to what happened to him and May. He supposed that that made sense. Given everything that happened within the span of 24 hours, there was no time to do that…between the accident and their conversation from that morning. “Uhh…” Peter said as he finally finished setting up the gaming system and the game, “well, actually, Vision, I’m living with him…My…aunt and I,” he moved to sit on the couch next to Vision, “we got in a car accident, and she…didn’t make it.”

“Oh dear, I’m so terribly sorry, Peter,” Vision replied. “Rhodey and I had no idea.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Peter said as he held up his hands. “I didn’t expect you to. The only people who know are Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts, Happy, and my best friend.”

“I see,” Vision replied.

“And my aunt apparently named Mr. Stark as my guardian,” Peter continued, “so now, once a judge approves, he can take care of me permanently.”

“Well, given how close you and Stark had gotten over time, it would seem that May Parker saw that and deemed Stark as someone who is capable of caring for you.”

“Yeah, I mean…he’s done a lot for me, and so far, he’s trying his best. He doesn’t want to see me go into a foster home.” He knew that Vision was right. May was always an amazing person like that. She always seemed to recognize if something was good or bad. Sure, she expressed her doubts about the “Stark Internship,” but once she realized what was going on and that Peter was Spider-Man, she never tried to get him to stop. She respected it and tried her best to support him in any way. There were even times when she and Tony teamed up and co-parented a few times.

“Well, I’m sure you two will adjust,” Vision replied. “Tony cares a lot about you, and if I’m correct, you care about him, too.”

Peter smiled at Vision. Oddly enough hearing Tony’s former AI offer his support made him feel a little better…more hopeful. He knew he cared about Tony, and he knew that Tony cared about him as well. May said so herself.

 _“They both care deeply about you.”_ She of course referred to Ben as well, but she showed how much she recognized how important Tony and Peter were to each other as well. Now, hearing someone else…one of the remaining Avengers express that thought as well made him smile and somewhat more confident.

* * *

Not long after Peter’s conversation with Vision, Tony and Rhodey returned from the lab, and from what Peter could see, Tony seemed like he was in a good mood. He didn’t seem upset or angry, which could only mean that whatever he talked about with Rhodey helped him feel better. The rookie superhero made a mental note to ask him about it later on the way back to the tower. For now, he just needed to enjoy the day with Vision and Rhodey, and he could tell that the billionaire needed that too. As soon as the two best friends returned, they were ready to start the video game, which was usual Mario Kart.

Eventually, Peter ended up winning with Rhodey coming in a very close second and with Tony and Vision behind them. So far, the day was a good distraction for Peter. However, every once in a while, Peter found himself remembering his circumstances…May was gone…dead, and while he also remembered that Tony was his new legal guardian…the pain in his heart…the grief was still there. The whole time he wished she was there enjoying this day with them…not dead, but he pushed through the grief trying not to burst out crying.

However, it wasn’t until the pizza they ordered for lunch came. He thought about all the pizza nights they used to have together…used to…and that was enough for the tears to form in his eyes again. He tried to make it look like he was only yawning, but when that didn’t work, he quickly excused himself and left the common room leaving Tony, Rhodey, and Vision in a state of confusion. Although, Tony had an idea as to what was going on, but he was once again caught in the dilemma as to whether or not he should check on his…charge…or kid… The terminology was still a little fuzzy.

The billionaire looked at the colonel and his former AI, who were looking at him clearly trying to see what he would do. He wasn’t sure what happened, but he suddenly stood up forgetting about his pizza and walked out of the room.

* * *

For a teenager, Peter was able to get out of the compound pretty quickly. Thankfully, all Tony had to do was ask FRIDAY.

“Peter is currently in the back at the dock, boss,” the AI replied.

“Thanks, Fri,” Tony replied absentmindedly as he quickly made his way out of the compound.

Sure enough, he found himself in the backyard of the compound looking out over the lake, and it didn’t take him long to find Peter sitting on the dock. Tony wasted no time in walking over to him. The kid had his back to him, but from the tone of his voice when he left, he had a feeling that tears weren’t too far behind. That was to be expected given that May had been gone for a day…only 24 hours. The billionaire kept walking until he was right next to Peter, and he gently placed his hand on Peter’s back and felt Peter jump slightly. He must’ve known that it was Tony because he didn’t look at him.

“You want to be alone, kid?” he asked. Although, he felt like he knew what the answer was.

He was right. Peter shook his head.

Tony sat down on the bench next to him wrapping an arm around him pulling him close so that his head was on Tony’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Peter finally said after a moment. “I don’t mean to get upset. I-I just…” he took a shaky breath, “it’s stupid. I-I took a look at the pizza and…” he sniffled, “it…it made me think of all the times May and I would get pizza…” Tears flowed down his cheeks. “Now…we’re never…going to get to do that again…” He sobbed. “I’m…I’m sorry…I—”

“Peter…Peter, listen to me…” Tony replied wrapping his arm tighter around him, “you…don’t need to apologize for grieving, okay? You hear me?”

“B-But…I shouldn’t be just crying out of nowhere. I-I mean…” he sniffed, “I…I’m a teenager…a superhero, and how does that show my gratitude to you…for what you’re doing for me?”

“Hey, hey, that’s bullshit, okay?” Tony retorted. “Maturity and gratitude have nothing to do with grief. Everyone needs to deal with it in his or her own way, and that means letting it out instead of bottling it up. So, if you ever need to cry or scream or whatever you need to do to let out the grief, you can come find me, and we can go somewhere private…like here…and just let it out. Or if you want to be by yourself or can’t find me…if there’s something else you want to talk to, that works, too, okay? You don’t need to hide anything or bottle anything, up, okay?”

The teen slowly nodded. It reminded him of what May had said to him after Ben died…that it was okay to let it out. He didn’t remember crying much after the fact, but the first few days were rough. However, becoming Spider-Man was an outlet for him, so maybe it could work again. He wasn’t sure… Right now, like whenever May held him after Ben died, being here with Tony made him feel comforted, grounded, and safe, and for now, that was enough for him as he slowly lifted his right arm from his lap and reached up to grip Tony’s shirt seeking more comfort…all while hoping that he wasn’t overstepping boundaries.

Tony felt Peter’s hand grip his shirt and couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face and a warm feeling. Ever since that day Peter turned down the Avengers, he and Peter usually patted each other on the shoulder or the back and embraced each other from the side wrapping an arm around the shoulders. Hugs were few between them, especially after he joked with Peter that day in the car that they weren’t there yet. However, now…without even second-guessing himself, he wrapped his other arm around Peter pulling him into a full embrace.

More tears streamed down Peter’s face as he turned his body, so that his arms wrapped around Tony’s middle and his face buried in Tony’s shoulder. “Are you trying to tell me we’re there, Mr. Star—Tony?” he asked with a small smile.

Tony chuckled as he hugged Peter just a little tighter. It had become a little inside joke between them during the few times they did share a hug. “Yeah, kid,” he said quietly. “We’re there. Considering that you’re calling me Tony and living with me, it would be weird if we weren’t.”

Peter laughed. “This is nice…” he said with a small smile growing just a little wider. “I…I’ve liked our hugs.”

“Yeah, Pete,” Tony replied, “it is nice.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “You ready to go back inside?”

“Can we stay out here for a few more minutes?”

“You got it, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnd that’s all for that chapter, boys and girls! I hope you all enjoyed it! I did want to quickly address that IW and EG will not be canon in this! I haven’t decided yet, but there MIGHT be a version of it. Just know that both Tony and Peter are safe from IW and EG canon in this! This is canon divergence, which is the most amazing thing ever! Anyway, feel free to find my on Tumblr if you wish to talk more about the story or PM me! Thanks again for all the support! See you in the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to another chapter of Raise Me Up! We are now on CHAPTER 9! Peter and MJ get to talk for a bit as Peter breaks the news, and we get a little more of Tony and Peter bonding! I really hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A few minutes passed before Peter was finally ready to go back into the compound, and Tony gladly took his charge back into the building. Thankfully, Rhodey and Vision didn’t try to pry as to what happened. However, they both sent Tony questioning looks, to which Tony responded with a small smile and a nod as if to say that Peter was okay. The rest of the afternoon continued nicely as they played Mario Kart together, and the competition ended after four rounds with Peter winning the last two and Tony winning the first two rounds. Once Peter got over the adrenaline rush, he realized that he forgot to call M.J. like he said he would.

Once he excused himself to make the call, he went into the hallway just outside the common room and called M.J.

“Hey,” she said after two rings. She obviously knew who it was.

“Hey, M.J,” Peter said. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” she replied, “just doing some research on the Black Dahlia.”

“Black Dahlia?” Peter asked furrowing his eyebrows together. The name sounded familiar because MJ mentioned it before to him and Ned.

“You know, the murder,” MJ replied.

“Oh, right,” Peter said nodding, “the one with the girl, who—”

“Yeah, that one,” MJ interjected.

Peter chuckled at the memory of when she first told him and Ned. As bizarre as it was, it felt somewhat normal. Like Tony, MJ was so far keeping him grounded despite what was going on.

“So, what’s going on, Parker?” she finally asked after a moment of a slightly awkward silence. “I have a feeling you didn’t call me just to chat.”

“Oh yeah, right,” Peter suddenly said. “I’m sorry. Umm…I…uh…I need to talk to you about something that happened.”

“W-What are you talking about?” The teenaged vigilante heard the concern in her voice.

He wasn’t exactly sure how to tell someone like MJ about his aunt dying the night before and him staying with Tony Stark himself, but like with Ned, he figured it was better to just get it out of the way and to just break the news. “Umm…” tears started to form in his eyes, “m-my aunt May and I…we…we were in a car accident last night.”

“What?! Oh my god…are you guys okay?! I mean…Ned said you were going to call me today, but…I…I thought it was…I mean…I don’t know…”

Never in his life had Peter ever heard Michelle Jones so speechless, but he was thankful that Ned at least gave her a heads up before he could call. “Uhh…well…that’s what I had to tell you,” he replied as he slid down the wall to sit on the floor. “Umm…my…my aunt didn’t make it last night. She…she…uhh…was hurt pretty badly…and…umm…she…didn’t make it.”

“Wow…” MJ sighed as if someone punched her in the stomach. “Oh my god…Peter…I’m so sorry to hear that.”

Peter could feel the tears brimming in his eyes yet again, but for some reason—whether it was because Tony told him it was okay to cry or because he trusted MJ to not judge him…maybe both—he didn’t make a move to wipe away the tears. “T-Thanks…” he replied.

“So…wh-what’s happening with you now?” MJ suddenly asked after a moment of silence. “I-I mean, you’re obviously not at the hospital because Ned would’ve told me if you were, and…you said May was all you had left.”

This was obviously MJ’s way of asking what was going to happen to him now…if he was going to be placed in the system or if he was going to have to leave. Also, it just showed more and more how smart and observant she was. Of course, Ned would’ve said if Peter was still at a hospital. “Well…uh…see, long story short: before this happened, May named Mr. Stark as a back-up guardian for me in her will,” he replied, “and Mr. Stark is taking me in.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, crazy, huh?”

“She must really trust him. That’s…that’s great, Peter. So, I guess this means you won’t be leaving Midtown. I mean, Ned would miss you a lot.”

Peter couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, Ned doesn’t have to worry,” he replied. “I’m not going anywhere. Tony said so himself.”

“Good, it would suck to not have you on Decathlon next year. I need help keeping Flash in line.”

Peter laughed yet again. As much as he loved talking to Tony and hanging out with the Avengers, it felt good talking to MJ. He wasn’t sure if it was because she was his age or because of her way of lightening the mood somewhat, but it helped.

“Ummm…so, listen, Parker,” she finally said after a moment, “m-my parents will want to know the arrangements, so…”

“Oh, yeah, yeah…I’ll give you those once Tony gets all that together.”

“Good, and if you ever want to hang out or anything, you know I’ll be around over the summer.”

“Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks, MJ. Maybe, you can tell me more about the Black Dahlia murder.”

“Definitely, so, will I see you at school on Monday?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss the last day of school.”

“Good, I’ll see you then.”

"See you, MJ.”

With that said, both teens hung up, and Peter was able to rejoin Tony, Rhodey, and Vision with a smile on his face. However, he didn’t miss the smirks on Tony and Rhodey’s faces when he said that MJ suggested hanging out over the summer. He just rolled his eyes and went on with the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

About an hour or two later, Peter and Tony said their goodbyes to Rhodey and Vision promising to meet up again on Monday after Peter would get home from school. Tony and Peter hopped into the car and took off making their way back to the city, and the billionaire was able to see that Peter was in a better mood. The grief was still there. It was always going to be there under the surface, but it was easy to see that the kid needed the distraction today. Quite frankly, he needed it too. He needed the confidence boost from Rhodey. He needed the moment…that hug with Peter to give him a boost in thinking that May made the right choice in naming him as Peter’s guardian.

Rhodey was right. Yes, mistakes would be made, and there would be some bumps in the road. However, like Rhodey also said, he and Peter trusted each other and had been through a lot together, and like he himself told Peter this morning, they were a great team. They could figure out this new situation and whatever came at them along the way…just as they had been for the past year. Besides, Rhodey had another valid point. If she didn’t think that Tony was capable of taking care of her nephew…her entire world, she wouldn’t have asked him. She would’ve made sure that they never interacted again if she thought Peter was in any danger. Maybe, he got this after all. Only time would tell.

* * *

“Hey, Tony?” Peter suddenly said as they rode the elevator to the penthouse.

“Yeah, bud?” Tony replied turning to the teen standing next to him.

“Umm…I was kind of wondering…if maybe we can watch a movie or something,” Peter suggested sheepishly.

Tony smiled and wrapped an arm around Peter holding him close to his side. “Of course,” he said. “How about we get changed and order up some Schwarma’s?”

The teen nodded and smiled wrapping an arm around Tony in return. The elevator opened up in the penthouse, and as soon as Tony told FRIDAY to order from Schwarma’s, both he and Tony went to their respective rooms to change into their pajamas. As soon as they were ready, their order finally came, and they made themselves comfortable in the living room on the couch with their food in the front of the T.V. They then finally decided on a movie…a _Star Wars_ move at Peter’s request, which Tony didn’t mind at all.

"There’s…something I wanted to tell you, buddy,” Tony said as the movie continued.

Peter picked up his head to look at Tony. They had finished their dinner about a half hour ago, and they were now sitting together on the couch with Tony’s arm around Peter and Peter’s head on Tony’s shoulder. Both of them had their feet resting on the coffee table. “Yeah?” he asked.

“Uhh…I didn’t want to say anything in front of Rhodey and Vision,” the billionaire replied, “but the hospital called me while you were on the phone with MJ. They…uhh…moved May to the funeral home, so at some point, we have to go over there.”

Peter didn’t say anything as he nodded. Tears formed in his eyes as he realized what that meant. It was getting closer to when he would have to say goodbye to May forever. He and Tony would have to make decisions on her coffin…the flowers…her outfit. He sighed as he leaned on Tony’s shoulder as the tears flowed down his cheeks. “I can’t believe this is happening,” he said in a whisper. Before Tony could even say anything, he sat up realizing how that sounded. “Please don’t take that the wrong way. I-I just meant that—”

“Relax, relax, kid,” Tony quickly said keeping his arm around Peter. “It’s okay, I know what you meant.”

“I really appreciate what you’re doing for me,” Peter continued, “and I’m glad I get to live with you. I-I just…with May…I—” He sighed a shaky breath as Tony let him finish, “M-May…I…After my uncle died, I always thought it would be just us…you know? And now…” He closed his eyes as more tears flowed.

Feeling his heart breaking even more for his charge, Tony gently tugged Peter back down so that the teen was resting his head on the former’s chest, and without much hesitation, he wrapped both arms around Peter holding him tightly. He felt pretty bad for bringing this up, but he knew that he would’ve felt worse if he sprung this on Peter tomorrow. Peter needed time to process this and to come to terms with everything.

“I’m going to take care of everything, buddy,” Tony finally said after a quick minute. “You’re not going to be alone in this. I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you beforehand.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Peter replied sniffling. “I’m glad you told me.” When Ben died, May tried her hardest to be strong for him, and while he appreciated it, he wanted to help in any way he could. Now, Tony was telling him what was happening, and while the billionaire said he would take care of things, he was making an effort to keep Peter in the loop, which the teen appreciated.

“Are you sure?” Tony asked.

Peter nodded as he hugged his guardian tightly.

“Okay,” Tony replied returning the gesture, “but if you don’t want to make any of those decisions, just tell me, okay? Pepper and I could always do it.”

“Thank you…thank you so much, Tony,” Peter said after a moment, “for everything. You really don’t have to do any of this.”

“It’s not because I have to,” Tony replied. “I want to, kid. I want you here. I want to help you and to be there for you.”

Peter felt his heart swell hearing Tony say that he wanted to help him and to be there for him. More importantly, he said he wanted him here living with him. He knew Tony wanted him as a mentee and an intern, and the billionaire had proven that time and time again. Now, however, if all went well, Tony would soon officially be his guardian and charged with legally taking care of him, and it was a great feeling to hear that this was something he wanted. “Thank you…again,” he said.

Tony chuckled. “You don’t need to thank me, kid,” the billionaire replied. “Now, what do you say we finish the movie?”

Peter smiled. “Sounds good,” he replied.

* * *

The movie continued on, as they stayed wrapped in each other’s arms, and soon enough, as the end credits rolled on the screen, Tony felt Peter’s head slowly move down his chest. Tony furrowed his eyebrows together.

“Kid?” he asked softly.

Peter didn’t answer, but Tony barely missed the soft snores coming from the teenager.

Tony chuckled. Whenever Peter stayed over for the weekend or overnight for a movie night, it usually ended with one or both of them falling asleep on the couch. Usually, they would wake up and just go to bed, but something stopped Tony from waking up his protégé. The kid only had a few hours of sleep the night before after the hospital, and then they had a day at the compound. He couldn’t bring himself to wake Peter up and decided to take over measures. Knowing the couch wouldn’t be all that comfortable, Tony slowly but surely gathered Peter into his arms carrying him under his back and knees, and then Tony slowly stood up with Peter sleeping in his arms and slowly walked toward Peter’s bedroom—it was no longer a guest room; it hadn’t been for a while.

As soon as they were in the room, Tony gently placed the kid on his bed and brought the covers up to his chin. The billionaire sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed trying not to wake Peter up. He couldn’t help but notice how peaceful Peter looked while asleep…completely shielded away from the harsh reality. He knew Peter was thankful that his mentor was taking him in, and he knew that Peter trusted him. He also knew that Peter was grieving his aunt—his last living relative…his family, and that was something that would never go away.

As for himself, he was glad to have Peter with him. He was grateful that he would get to see Peter everyday, but given the circumstances…how could he be happy when it resulted because of a death? Perhaps, like everything else, he would figure it out. Both he and Peter would figure this situation out…together. Like he said to the kid, they were a team no matter what, and he wasn’t going to give up, that was for sure.

With that thought, Tony slowly reached forward and ran ahead through Peter’s soft curls careful not to wake him. “I promise, May,” Tony whispered. “I’m going to be there for him. I’ll keep him safe…just as I always have been, and Pep, Rhodey, and Happy will help too. Our Peter will be just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnnd that’s all for Chapter 9, boys and girls! I hope you all enjoyed it! It was a little short, but the next few chapters should be a little longer! Onto Chapter 10, which might be…a little late by a day because I have another project to work on! Either way, it will be up soon! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to seeing you all in CHAPTER 10! Thanks again, guys!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, my readers! I have returned with Raise Me Up!! We are finally on Chapter 10!! We get some Pepper/Peter interactions in this chapter, and the three of them have to take care of the arrangements for May. Needless to say, neither of them are looking forward to it! I hope you all enjoy it!! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Peter fluttered his eyes open as the sunlight peaked into the blinds over the bed. He suddenly froze when he realized where he was. He was in a bed, and confusion ran through his head. The last thing he remembered was watching a movie with Tony and Tony telling him about…May…and how they needed to make the arrangements tomorrow, so that was today…unless…it was a dream? The teen looked around the room only to sadly realize that it wasn’t a dream. May was dead…killed in that car accident…just two days ago, and he couldn’t save her. That harsh realization dawned on him as he remembered that last moment before that car plowed into them.

_“Let me know if I need to pull over when it gets worse.”_

_“MAY!”_

_“CRASH!”_

The teen jolted at the memory of the car ramming into theirs. He briefly remembered hearing May’s scream at the moment of impact before he was knocked out. It felt like something out of his worst nightmare. That was the second time he failed to save a loved one. He failed to save Ben when he got shot, and now, he failed to save May in the accident. How could he let that happen? How could he not react in time? He could only sigh in utter sadness and defeat.

“Peter, boss would like me to inform you that breakfast is ready.”

“Thanks, FRIDAY,” Peter muttered. “Tell him I’ll be there in a minute.”

Peter then mustered whatever strength he had and got up out of bed. His stomach growled, and I provided some motivation to get him out of bed. His body felt like lead, and he immediately wanted to stay in bed. However, he continued, despite it, and left his bedroom to join Tony in the kitchen. He walked out into the hallway and made his way into the kitchen, but he quickly stopped in his tracks when he saw that his mentor wasn’t alone. Pepper Potts was sitting at the counter as Tony placed food on each of the plates.

“Morning, kid,” Tony said looking up at Peter.

Pepper turned to look at Peter and quickly stood up walking over to him. “Hey, sweetie,” she said gathering him into her arms.

“Hi, Ms. Potts,” Peter said hugging her back and feeling the tears well up again.

“I’m so…so sorry, Peter,” she said softly rubbing his back while they embraced.

“T-Thank you…M-Ms. Potts,” Peter said as he sobbed not really caring if he ruined her white shirt. He felt bad, but not enough to stop crying. He and Pepper had seen each other often over the course of the past 10 months. “I-I’m sorry…”

“Ah-ah! No sorry, kid,” Tony said quickly before Pepper could respond.

“He’s right, you know,” Pepper quickly added rubbing Peter’s back.

Peter gave a soft chuckle through his little sobs. “Okay,” he said.

“Aw, sweetheart,” Pepper whispered into his curls, “there are no words.”

As much as Tony wanted nothing more than to join the hug with Peter and Pepper…his…ward…charge…and his fiancée, he stood back allowing them to share a moment. Over the past 10 months and the two days since the accident, Peter knew he was able to seek comfort from Tony and was given it no questions asked. However, given that he and Pepper were going to be married in the near future, Peter needed to know that Pepper would be there to help him through this ordeal as well.

It was a minute before Pepper finally pulled away to look at Peter allowing her to see his bloodshot eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t see you yesterday,” Pepper finally said after a moment.

“Oh, you don’t have to apologize, Ms. Potts,” Peter said wiping the tears from his eyes. Tony had told him that Pepper couldn’t be around yesterday as she was busy with work, which he understood, of course. While both Ben and May worked, after Ben died, it was always hard for May to be in two places at once, and since Pepper was the CEO of Stark Industries, that was even more understandable.

“First of all if you’re finally on first-name basis with Tony and Rhodey—” Pepper began gripping onto Peter’s arms.

“Still working on it,” Tony interjected as he placed the food on the plates for the three of them.

“It’s Pepper,” Pepper continued without missing a beat. “Second of all, I know, but I still promise you that today is just going to be the three of us, okay?”

Peter couldn’t help but give a small smile at the CEO of Stark Industries, and he nodded. “Okay…Pepper,” he said in a whisper. Tony, Pepper, and Rhodey were all attempting to get him to use their names, and they had been trying for a long time. However, they were adamant now since Peter was living with one of them.

“Good, now, come on,” she said guiding Peter to the counter. “You need something in your stomach.”

The teenaged vigilante chuckled as he sat down at the counter with Pepper and Tony. “So…uh…what are we supposed to do today?” he asked as he began to pick at his food.

“Well, I figured that we could stop by the apartment first,” Tony replied. “We can sort through what you want to keep and…you know…see what you want to do with…” He trailed off not exactly wanting to say what he needed to say out loud.

“And we don’t have to do everything today,” Pepper quickly added. “We can just focus on your things and the things we need and go back whenever you want for the rest.”

“That’s right,” Tony added. “I can talk to the superintendent and pull some strings to pay for rent for another month or two. It’s up to you.” Tony felt his heart break seeing Peter ponder over this. It was expected that the child worry about their parent or guardian’s funeral. That was how the natural order of things was supposed to be, but…not at the age of 15 going on 16. It was too young. Peter was too young to deal with this, but that only made Tony want to make this as quick as possible. It was going to be painful. That was what came with losing a beloved family member, but May also deserved to be honored and cherished by those she loved.

“Umm…yeah, I-I think we should just get what I need and deal with what May will be…” he took a shaky breath, “buried with.” He took another shaky breath as he ran a hand through his hair as he felt the grief increase a little within him.

“Kid, listen to me,” Tony said taking Peter’s hand in his, “if anything at any point gets to be too much…at the apartment or the funeral home, you just say the word, okay?”

“That’s right,” Pepper added rubbing Peter’s back. “Tony and I will be there every step of the way. If you need us to take care of something, you tell us.”

Peter managed to look at Pepper and Tony smiling at them. “Thanks, guys, really,” he said quietly. “You really don’t—”

“Ah-ah! Nope, we want to, kid, end of story.”

Pepper couldn’t help but notice Peter’s smile widen just a little bit at Tony.

* * *

After breakfast, Peter quickly showered and dressed for the day, and just as Pepper promised, the three of them began to spend the day together. Normally, Peter would be excited to spend the entire day with his mentor and his fiancée, but knowing that he had to go to his and May’s apartment and move out…forever…formed a tight knot in his stomach. Thankfully, Pepper and Tony planned this process so that it didn’t happen all in one day. Today, they were just focusing on moving Peter’s clothes and other things out of the apartment and to go through May’s things for the wake and funeral. Tony told him that his furniture would be taken care of on Monday while he would be at school, and the rest of May’s things would come later when Peter was ready.

Pepper didn’t say anything to either Peter or Tony, but Pepper had to wonder if this came from Tony wishing that someone had done this for him when his parents died. Ever since Tony became Peter’s mentor, she noticed they’d gotten closer…started trusting each other as more than mentor and protégé…more like father and son, and it was something both she and May noticed more and more over time. They both cared about each other and looked out for each other.

Whether it was divine intervention, fate, destiny, the Accords, or an Internet video, it was pretty clear that Peter and Tony belonged together and needed each other. Tony needed Peter to bring in some light after the civil war with the Rogue Avengers…after Natasha betrayed him and Rhodey was paralyzed, and Peter needed Tony to guide him in his life as a superhero…and now as a guardian to help him grieve the loss of a loved one…something Obidiah didn’t do for Tony.

Soon enough, Tony pulled into a space right in front of the apartment building in Queens.

“Okay, here we are,” Tony said solemnly as he turned the car off. He turned to Peter, who was sitting in the backseat. As much as he wished that he could be there in the back with him, he knew that it was better for Peter if it was just the three of them. Plus, Happy, Vision, and Rhodey said they would help with the furniture. “You ready, kiddo?”

Peter nodded. “Well…not ready…but…I have to be,” he replied.

Tony and Pepper snuck a glance at each other before turning back to Peter, and Tony reached out and took Peter’s hand into his. “We’re right there with you,” he said. “You call the shots today, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter said in barely a whisper. He couldn’t help but notice Tony telling him that over the past 24…48 hours…? He had been so overwhelmed with grief that he tended to lose track of time, and he appreciated it. He was glad that Tony and Pepper were letting him make some decisions. He was probably going to need them to take over in some parts, but it was nice that his mentor…guardian and his fiancée were initially letting him take some control of the current circumstances. He couldn’t control the events regarding the accident…or May’s death, but he was allowed to have some control here. It kept him distracted…grounded. Peter then took a deep breath and looked at Tony and Pepper. “I’m ready.”

With that said, the three of them got out of the Audi, and Peter led Tony and Pepper up to his and May’s apartment with keys in hand. Thankfully, like two nights ago, the building was quiet, so no one was around to ask questions. He was nowhere near ready for that part, and as soon as he got to the door to the apartment with the two adults behind him, he took out the keys and unlocked the door. The door opened, and at first, Peter forgot that he was at the apartment only a few nights ago. It felt like a lifetime ago, and knowing that it was only a matter of time before it was completely empty with no trace of the Parkers living here…made his stomach twist. The boy was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, kid?” Tony asked.

Peter quickly looked at him and nodded frantically.

“Okay, umm…how about you and I pack up your stuff?” Tony suggested.

“And I can get all the perishables out of the fridge?” Pepper added. “After that, you can pick out a few things for May.”

Peter looked to Pepper and nodded.

Tony gently guided Peter toward his room. When the two of them were here after the accident, the kid broke down in the room by himself, and Tony refused to let that happen again. He and Pepper agreed to let Peter have his alone time if he asked, but if not, then they agreed to try to be there for him if possible.

The three of them quickly got to work. Tony and Peter packed the latter’s clothes and other belongings in the cardboard boxes they brought while Pepper threw out anything that was or already expired while taking notes as to what kind of food Peter liked. She had a feeling that Tony had some idea given how often Peter stayed over at the tower and the compound, but it couldn’t hurt to be extra sure.

“Okay,” Tony said as he duck-taped a box of Peter’s pants, “that’s another box to go down to the car.”

“This one, too,” Peter said as he duck-taped a box of his shirts and slid it toward the door. “Can I have another one?”

“Here you go, kiddo,” Tony replied as he grabbed another box for Peter to take.

Peter smiled as he took the box and turned to grab a few things from his night table and stopped in his tracks when his brown eyes rested on the picture that stood there. The smile vanished from the boy’s face as a lump formed in his throat. It was a picture of him, May, and Ben… The three of them were in a restaurant in the city; May and Ben were standing behind him smiling proudly while he sat down wearing a blue graduation cap.

Peter knew immediately what day it was taken…it was his eighth grade graduation ceremony…on a warm June night…just about a week or so before Ben was killed in front of him. Peter remembered framing the picture right after the funeral and the tears in May’s eyes when he told her that this would help him remember his uncle and help Ben watch over him. He was only 13 going on 14 years old…grasping the finality of death and the concept of losing a loved one. He took the picture into his hands staring at it.

“Hey, kid, I—” Tony stopped when he saw his charge kneeling on the floor with the picture frame. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what the picture was. He had caught mere glimpses of the picture whenever he came to visit the Parkers’ apartment after meeting Peter. He slowly stood up and sat down on Peter’s bed looking over the boy’s shoulder at the picture and placing his hand on Peter’s shoulder.

“This was taken only a few weeks before…” Peter stopped. It was bad enough to mourn May, but he didn’t feel like remembering Ben’s death. “We went out to dinner…just the three of us…” Like how it was him, Tony, and Pepper now…Peter sniffled as tears fell from his eyes before wiping them away. “You know…I never told you this, but…” Peter looked up at Tony with a sad smile, “take a wild guess as to who got me into _Star Wars_.”

“Your uncle was a fan of _Star Wars_?”

“Aw man, he loved them! Whenever I was sick or feeling sad, we used to always curl up on the couch and watch them all night long stuffing our faces with popcorn. One Halloween…back when I was—I don’t know—7, we both dressed up as Luke and Anakin Skywalker. I should actually try to find that picture.”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, it’s pretty clear his love for _Star Wars_ made an impression,” he said as he ruffled Peter’s hair. He thought back on all the times Peter came for a movie night or stayed over the weekend. Usually, they tried to watch as many old movies as possible, but _Star Wars_ was sometimes the one franchise to fall back on. Now, he understood why.

“Yeah, I guess it did,” Peter said chuckling, “but now it’s something else you and I have enjoyed doing together. I get to cherish the memories with Uncle Ben and make new ones with you…at least that’s what Aunt May told me.”

“Well, she’s right,” Tony said. “Just because your aunt and uncle are gone now doesn’t mean you can’t cherish the memories and make new ones with others, you know?”

“Yeah, but…I still miss him…both of them…”

“And that’s perfectly normal, Pete,” Tony rubbed his back. “Now, you have the memories to comfort you. You, Pepper, and I will make new ones.”

 _“If it all goes well, of course…”_ Tony added mentally.

“You’re right, Tony,” Peter finally said.

“Of course, I am,” Tony said smirking, “and don’t you forget it. Your aunt always knew what she was talking about, and so do I.”

Peter chuckled as he wrapped the frame in bubble wrap before placing it in the box. He sniffled again as Tony moved from the bed to the floor to sit next to Peter wrapping his arm around the boy so that Peter was resting his head on his shoulder. He closed his eyes feeling the warmth and comfort Tony provided him with one simple gesture. Ever since Tony became his mentor all those months ago, there was always warmth…a comfort he slowly found with the billionaire himself…a comfort that offered safety, affection, and…care.

“They both care very deeply about you…”

“And just so you know, kid,” Tony finally whispered into his brown hair, “you can talk to us about May…Ben…your parents anytime. I want to hear more about them.”

“Really?” Peter asked not lifting his head.

“Yep,” Tony said, “I mean…I’m not the best point of reference when it comes to grief, but…sharing memories…talking about them…it’s helpful. It keeps them alive…” he pointed to Peter’s chest, “in here,” and then moved his finger to Peter’s forehead, “and here.”

Peter gave a small smile as tears came into his eyes. “Thanks, Tony,” he said quietly.

“You’re welcome, buddy,” the billionaire said.

“You guys doing okay in here?” a voice suddenly said jolting Tony and Peter out of their thoughts. They looked up from where they were sitting on the floor and found Pepper standing in the doorway smiling. “I just finished cleaning the fridge and figured I’d come check on you two.”

“Umm…sorry, Pepper,” Peter said wiping his eyes, “it was my fault.” He watched as the blonde woman walked in and sat down in front of them. “I got caught up in…reminiscing.”

“It’s okay, Peter,” she said patting him on the knee. “You know, I would love to hear more about your uncle, if that’s okay. You can tell us more about it while we finish packing.”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” Peter said smiling.

* * *

Sharing the memories…reliving the nostalgia seemed to give Peter some strength as they finished packing up the things in his bedroom. While there was moments where he felt the grief wash over him, Pepper and Tony…his guardian were quick to rush in and comfort him. However, he still tried his best to hide it knowing that they had a lot to get done today, despite his guardian and said guardian’s fiancée trying to tell him that there was no rush. Although, there was a part of him that wanted to slow down the packing. It was getting harder and harder knowing that the time to leave the very apartment he and May shared…the last place May was in…

However…within two hours…his things were packed away in boxes in the trunk of Tony’s car and the U-Haul they rented. With the exception of the furniture and the bare mattress, his room was completely barren…almost as if he never lived in it in the first place. After grabbing a few things for May…her jewelry…a dress for her…a few other trinkets Peter picked out, it was finally time to go. Tony told him that they could come back to take care of the furniture another day, and that he would work things out with the superintendent of the building. Trusting Tony like always, Peter accepted it and nodded as the tears brimmed in his eyes. Thankfully, Peter didn’t have to necessarily ask for a moment alone when Tony and Pepper told him to make sure he didn’t forget anything and that they would wait for him in the car downstairs.

Once Pepper and Tony made their way downstairs, Peter stood in the doorway of the apartment looking around…taking in as much as he could before the apartment was completely empty. The knowledge that he would never come back to sleep in there…never see May walk in through the front door…cook in the kitchen…tidy it up for someone coming over… In just a matter of seconds, on one night, all of that he and May shared and knew…changed, and it was never going back to how it was ever again. Tears streamed down his face as he took a shaky breath forcing himself to prepare to leave.

“I won’t ever forget this place, Aunt May,” he whispered. “I will keep you alive in my memories like we did for Uncle Ben, I promise.” He took a deep breath and closed the door behind him locking it before slowly releasing the knob and walking down the hall to meet Tony and Pepper at the car.

* * *

The rest of the day didn’t do all that much to ease his grief, and it wasn’t that he expected it to…seeing as how he had to make arrangements for his aunt. Pepper and Tony of course kept their word and helped him out as much as they could. If Tony or Pepper sensed that he was struggling, one of them stepped in, made a suggestion, and did most of the talking with the funeral director. After a couple of hours, they were finally finished with the arrangements. The wake was set for Wednesday, and the funeral was set for Thursday morning.

“That was…the hardest thing to do in my life,” Peter said aloud looking out the window of the car watching complete strangers pass by on the sidewalks. They were completely unaware of a great person dying. He couldn’t help but marvel how one was caught up in his or her personal bubble. He could feel Tony looking at him in the rearview mirror. “And the funeral hasn’t even happened yet.”

“I know, Peter,” Pepper said reaching back and taking his hand into hers. She wanted to tell him that it was going to be okay, but how could she?

“You’re not alone in this, kiddo,” Tony said looking him in the eyes from the rearview mirror. “We’re right there with you.”

Peter nodded. “I know,” he said. “Believe me, I do.” He gripped Pepper’s hand careful not to hurt her with his super-strength. “Listen, I-I know I didn’t say it a lot today, but…I really want to thank you for all your help today. I’m…I’m sorry…I was…”

“Ah-ah…no apologies, kid,” Tony quickly said. “I’m going to start charging you for every apology you don’t need to make, and I’m a billionaire. I can make it happen.”

Peter chuckled through his tears.

“Kid…I’m telling you…we want to do this,” Tony said smiling.

“Okay,” Peter said quietly leaning back in his seat.

“You know what I think?” Tony finally said after a moment of silence.

“What?” Pepper said chuckling. Peter couldn’t help but notice that she seemed to know exactly what he was going to say.

“I think we should get some Schwarma’s,” Tony replied with a knowing smile, “and head back to the tower and have a movie night. Thoughts?”

“I think I like that idea,” Peter said with a small smile. “What about you, Pepper?”

“I think I like that idea, too,” Pepper replied.

* * *

The two superheroes and Pepper enjoyed a late lunch at Schwarma’s before finally heading back to the tower, where they enjoyed a marathon of _Star Wars_ movies. It had been a few weeks since Tony and Peter had their last one…before May died, and it was now the first official movie night Pepper had the opportunity to join in on the fun. Soon enough, dinner arrived as they continued the marathon eating Thai food-Peter’s idea to honor May, which Tony and Pepper had no problem with. The _Star Wars_ movie marathon continued until around 11:00 PM when Peter began to nod off, and the three of them agreed to continue the marathon tomorrow night after dinner with Happy and Rhodey.

“He wasn’t kidding when he said that today was hard,” Tony mused aloud as soon as he was sure Peter was in his bedroom out of earshot. The kid exchanged his good nights with them and dragged his feet to get ready for bed.

“Nobody said it would be easy,” Pepper said quietly.

“If someone ever did, they’re crazy,” Tony retorted as he wrapped an arm around Pepper kissing the top of her head. “Thank you though.”

“For…?”

“Being there today…you didn’t have to, and I know this isn’t what you—”

“Tony, Peter is a part of your life now. He has been for a while,” she interjected looking at him. “That means that he’s a part of mine too. I’m standing by you two through thick and thin. It’s what couples do…what married couples do.”

The billionaire smiled. “For better or for worse,” he said taking her left hand with the engagement right…the very same ring Happy had been holding onto since 2008. “I think you and Rhodey were right. It’s not going to be easy, and there will be some bumps, but we’ll get through it…as a family…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd that’s all for Chapter 10, folks! Hooo man, that was a long one, but that’s totally okay, lol! Be on the look out for Chapter 11! I hope you all enjoyed it, and I’ll see you in Chapter 11! Also, come find me on Tumblr @lbigreyhound13 if you would like to talk more about the story!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to another chapter of Raise Me Up! I hope everyone is staying safe, sane, and healthy! We are back with CHAPTER 11! It’s Peter’s last day of sophomore year, and Tony has a few surprises for him. Let’s see how it all unfolds! I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Peter’s eyes shot open at the sound of the alarm clock that Tony put in the guest room for him. When they returned to the penthouse last night, they moved the boxes to his room silently agreeing that the unpacking could wait until after Peter got back from school. Of course, that meant he had to improvise and do a little digging to find what he needed for school. He stopped for a moment when the realization…slapped him across the face. It was his last day of school…of sophomore year, and May wasn’t going to be there to see him off this morning like she always did. She wouldn’t be there to sit with him on the couch afterwards to look through his yearbook when he would return. She was supposed to go out with him, Tony, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, and Vision, and now…she wasn’t going to be there. He sighed sadly trying his best to sit up in bed rubbing his face.

The teenaged vigilante somehow managed to muster the strength and willpower to get himself out of bed. Any other kid would’ve been buzzing with excitement over the last day of the school, but it was a little hard to do just that when it was just after losing a family member, who had been there for you through thick and thin. It was almost as if he was watching himself get ready for school as he showered, dressed, and packed his backpack with some pens for yearbooks. There weren’t any classes on the last day of school; it was only an awards ceremony and yearbooks being given out, and based on the previous year, Peter knew that he would be out of school by noon, which was fine with him. He wouldn’t have to pretend how everything was okay for long or answer any questions, except from possibly Ned and MJ. The teen mentally kicked himself as he brushed his teeth about not saying anything to them about the arrangements, but he quickly figured that it would be okay.

As soon as he was ready, he walked out of his room and made his way into the kitchen, where he found a small bowl on the counter with his favorite cereal and next to it was a glass and a piece of paper. He looked around and realized that he was alone in the penthouse.

“Tony?” Peter called out. “Pepper?”

No answer.

Peter picked up the paper and unfolded it. It read…

_“Sorry we couldn’t see you off to school this morning, kid! Pepper and I had some SI things to take care of. Happy will take you to school this morning, and Pep and I will catch you later.”_

_-TS”_

Peter gave a small chuckle at how Tony still used his initials to sign things for him. He should’ve realized that that was the case when he didn’t see either of them. Sometimes, whenever Peter stayed over, Tony would often wake up before him to go to meetings or to work in the lab; as he grabbed some milk from the fridge and sat down at the counter to eat his cereal mentally making a note to send Tony a quick text later.

* * *

 _“Thanks for the cereal this morning!”_ he texted to Tony while sitting in the car with Happy at the driver’s seat.

_“Anytime, kiddo! If you need anything at all today, call or text me. I’ll have my phone.”_

_“I think I’ll be okay, but thanks!”_

_“I know, you’re a strong kid, but remember what I said: it’s okay to be sad.”_

Peter smiled to himself. There was a part of him that always wished how the media would see this side of Tony more…see how he was so much more than the genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist. Tony rose above his past and did everything he could to change who he was after his time in Afghanistan all those years ago. The man in the media was nowhere close to what he had seen after Tony took him under his wing. The man he knew was gentle, caring, tough but fair, and comforting, and it wasn’t just this one time after May died.

Peter had seen it ever since the billionaire first came to his apartment…when he came to check on Peter after he got knocked around in the fight in Germany…when he had to take the suit away after the ferry incident…and every other moment once they decided to have Tony become his mentor…their phone calls…patrols together…everything. May definitely knew what she was doing when she named Tony as his guardian, and Peter was more than grateful for that both for May looking out for him and for Tony taking him in no questions asked.

It was almost as if he was Peter’s—No! Peter immediately put that thought to a grounding halt. Tony might’ve been his new guardian, but there was no way he would be willing to be a parent…a dad. There was no way the billionaire would want that. He was taking care of him full-time while continuing to act as his mentor, right? Was that how one would put it? How would May even feel about that if he saw Tony as a parental figure? Sure, Tony did things for him like a parent or a guardian would, but May was alive allowing Tony to help out when needed. That was it! Now that May was no longer here…what did that mean?

“Alright, kid, this is your stop,” Happy said unknowingly jolting Peter out of his thoughts.

Peter looked up and saw that they finally arrived at Midtown. Everyone was dressed for the awards ceremony. The girls had dresses or skirts, while boys followed his lead and wore dress shirts and slacks. “Thanks, Happy,” he said as he got out. “See you later!”

“No problem, kid,” Happy replied. “Have a good day!”

“You too!” He closed the passenger door behind him. The teenaged vigilante quickly moved up the stairs and soon enough found Ned and MJ at the top waiting for him. He might’ve just spoken to them over the weekend after the accident, but he hadn’t seen them since Friday, which felt like a lifetime ago. He didn’t have to say anything as Ned practically grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, which Peter gratefully accepted.

“I’m so sorry, man,” Ned whispered.

“Thanks,” Peter said solemnly as tears brimmed in his eyes.

As soon as Ned released him, MJ was quick to go next and hug him tightly. “I’m sorry, too, Parker,” she said quietly.

He nodded as he closed his eyes trying to stall the tears. “Thank you,” he said again. He wouldn’t admit it out loud at the moment given where he was, but Ned and MJ relaxed him…comforted him. Even though May was no longer with them, he still had others…Tony, Pepper, Ned, and MJ to be there for him.

* * *

As soon as Peter sat back down in his chair on the gym floor while the applause faded and Morita spoke again, his phone buzzed once in his pocket. His eyebrows furrowed together as he pulled it out only to see that he got a text from…Tony.

_“Congratulations, kid!”_

Confusion increased tenfold as Peter eyed the certificate in his hand. He had just won an award, but was that what Tony was referring to? How could he though?

_“Thanks…for what?”_

_“For your award?”_

_“How did you know?”_

_“Aunt May told me weeks ago when she got the phone call. She invited me to come.”_

Peter raised his eyebrows as he scanned the gym. He didn’t remember seeing Tony or hearing anyone practically scream at the sight of Tony Stark at the ceremony. There was no sign of the billionaire anywhere…but then his phone buzzed again. He looked at his phone only to see another message from Tony.

_“On your right…by the doors…”_

The teen looked to his right and smiled when he saw a familiar-looking man wearing a cap and sunglasses to conceal his face. Tony smiled and held up a finger to his lips silently telling Peter to stay quiet, and Peter practically beamed from ear to ear as he turned back to his phone.

 _“I thought you had SI stuff this morning,”_ he texted to Tony.

_“We did, and now it’s done.”_

_“You really didn’t have to come, Mr. Stark.”_

_“Tony* and I know, but I wanted to. I promised May and you.”_

Peter smiled. _“Thank you, Tony. I wish she were here with us. She would’ve loved to see you as the Master of Disguise.”_

_“I know, buddy, but she is here. You may not see her, but she is here. She couldn’t be more proud of you. I’m proud of you, too.”_

_“Thanks, Tony…really.”_

_“No problem, kid.”_

_“So was this really what the dinner tonight was for?”_

_“Well, yes and no. May and I had thought about it before she got the phone call, but then it was another excuse to take you out tonight.”_

Peter couldn’t help but smile at the text. He could feel Ned and MJ looking at him as he sat on either side of him, but they didn’t say anything to him. Whether it was because they knew how boring the ceremony could be or because they knew Peter needed some distractions, he wasn’t sure, and he and Tony continued to text each other throughout the ceremony.

* * *

The ceremony ended with the students officially being promoted to the next grade, and Peter, Ned, and MJ cheered when Morita officially promoted their sophomore class to the junior class. As Peter cheered and hugged his two friends, the yearning to share this and the achievement of earning his award with May returned. He wanted to reach for his phone and call her or text her, but then the pain came back once he remembered that he couldn’t do that…not anymore. However, he tried his hardest to push it down for the time being. He couldn’t feel sad now when everyone else around him was overjoyed it was the last day of school, and when he was about to get his yearbook.

Soon enough, once Peter was sure he got signatures in his yearbook from his friends, he said his goodbyes to Ned and MJ, who told him that they would be there during the arrangements later in the week. Then he made his way out of the building somewhat ready to start the summer mostly because he would get to focus on Spider-Man and try to work through his grief over May. Even though there were no classes on the last day of school, it was hard to focus when he was thinking about May was supposed to be there supporting him and cheering for him with Tony.

Speaking of Tony, Peter walked around the corner of the street only to see Happy’s car waiting for him, so people wouldn’t Tony in public. This was common occurrence over the past 10 months. Midtown was aware of the Stark Internship, but Tony and Peter agreed to keep it on the low profile as much as possible. Not only because people would probably question it, invade Peter’s privacy, and spread rumors that could ruin reputations, but because it would lead to people possibly figuring out that Peter was Spider-Man. It ended up working out because Peter of course was never one to want to be the center of attention.

“You know, I’m not really one for long speeches,” Tony said as Peter got into the car next to him. “That was more of Cap’s thing.”

Peter tried his best to hide the shock at his guardian mentioning his former teammate.

“But Morita really needs to lighten up and make it more fun for you guys,” the billionaire continued.

The teenaged vigilante rolled his eyes. “You do realize that you’re talking about the same guy, who refused to hang a picture of you and me giving each other the bunny ears and went for the more serious one.”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh as he wrapped an arm around Peter. “Well, I’m proud of you, kid,” he said, “and so was May.”

Peter leaned into Tony’s side smiling. “Thanks, Tony,” he said, “again.” He never really knew if Tony believed in God or the afterlife. That was never really something a mentor and mentee fully discussed, but he appreciated Tony’s attempts to comfort him with the knowledge of his aunt looking down at him and smiling at him. May did the same when his parents and Ben died, and it was always something he liked to believe in. He wasn’t sure if it was naiveté or his beliefs, but it always made the grief and the loss easier to process.

* * *

“Why don’t you go get changed?” Tony asked as he walked toward his bedroom to do the same. “We can head down to the lab and tinker for a bit before dinner.”

“Sure,” Peter replied. He made his way up the hall leading to the guestroom while Tony went into the master bedroom. As soon as he was at the door, he noticed that it was closed, which confused him because he didn’t remember closing the door when he left that morning. He furrowed his eyebrows together and opened the door thinking that he was most likely going to find government agents or villains in the room ready to kidnap him. However, as he opened the door, his eyes widened at what was before him. The room had furniture, but that wasn’t what made Peter stop in his tracks. What made him stop in his tracks was that it was…his furniture from his old apartment! Words failed him in every way, shape, and form as he tried to ask what was going on.

“You like it?” Peter jolted and turned around seeing Tony standing in the doorway with a smile. “I mean, if you want to rearrange things, we could always do that too.”

Peter looked around the room. With the exception of the bed, everything was there. His clothes were still in the boxes, which was perfectly okay and possibly because Tony figured he could leave it to Peter to decide what went where. “W-When?” Peter asked. “I mean—” That was when he remembered. “Wait, was this why you weren’t here this morning?”

“Guilty,” Tony said with a smile. “Pepper, Rhodey, Vision, and I went over there this morning and moved all your furniture. I wasn’t sure where to place everything, so Pep figured we could sort that out…once you know…and May’s things are still there. The superintendent said he could give us another month or two, so there’s no rush for that. I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything.”

Peter nodded with tears in his eyes as he walked over to Tony wrapping his arms around the older man’s middle hugging him. “Thank you,” he said.

Tony chuckled as he quickly returned the gesture. “You’re welcome, buddy,” he said.

“So this is really my room, now?” Peter asked curiously pulling back to look at the man.

“Peter, it’s always been your room,” Tony said simply. “The furniture just makes it more official.”

Peter’s smile widened. He always used this particular room whenever he stayed over with Tony at the tower, but he always figured that it was only because he was a frequent guest and that Tony rarely ever let just anyone stay over. Hearing Tony stay that it was always…just made his heart soar. All in just a matter of days after losing his aunt…one of the most important people in his life…he went from wondering what Tony was going to do with him to now hearing that he officially had a room…had a home with him and Pepper. They still needed to make the guardianship official at court, but Tony was acting as if it was already official. That was enough for Peter as he hugged Tony again.

* * *

Five glasses of champagne and one glass of Coca-Cola clanged together at the center of the table as Pepper, Tony, Rhodey, Happy, and Vision congratulated Peter on his successful school year and his award.

“Thank you, thank you so much!” Peter said as they all took a sip of their respective drinks.

“So, Pete, sophomore year is over,” Rhodey said leaning back in his seat slightly. “You ready for the college process yet?”

“Slow down, honeybear,” Tony said. “The kid just finished his sophomore year. We got time.”

Peter couldn’t help but smile hearing Tony say “we” in regards to the college process. “I thought you said it was never too early,” he said raising an eyebrow at the billionaire.

“Well, that was when I was trying to stop you from getting too deep into something you weren’t ready for,” Tony retorted. “Now, I’m saying that you need to get back on your feet and enjoy the summer before we start that.”

The kid nodded knowing Tony referring to him dealing with his aunt dying, and he wasn’t going to admit that out loud. However, he wasn’t sure if he was ready to even start thinking about colleges.

“Anyway,” Tony said, “we still have some time before the food comes out. I would like to make one last toast,” he looked at Peter with his glass raised, “to someone very important, who…isn’t here with us tonight.”

Peter felt a lump in his throat as he immediately realized whom Tony was referring to.

“To one of the most amazing, courageous, and kindest women I’ve ever known,” Tony said turning to the rest of their party and turning back to Peter. “I didn’t know your aunt for very long, Pete. We were all just getting to know her, but I think I speak for our friends here when I say that May was such an amazing person, who raised an equally amazing kid, and I know for a fact that she’s looking down on you with such pride and love.” Tony wasn’t sure if he believed in God or an afterlife, but if it could give Peter some peace of mind, then it was fine with him. He then turned back to the rest of the group. He briefly noticed that Pepper and Rhodey had proud smiles on their faces. “To May…an amazing aunt…and a great friend.”

“To you, Aunt May,” Peter replied. “I love you so much.”

“To May,” Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and Vision repeated as they clanged their glasses together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnd that’s all for CHAPTER 11, boys and girls! I hope you all enjoyed it! Be on the look out for Chapter 12 next week! Continue to stay home and stay safe! See you soon in the next chapter, guys!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey, my fellow readers! Welcome back to another chapter of Raise Me Up! We are at CHAPTER 12! So…I know a lot of people have been telling me that this story has been sad so far…this gets really sad. It’s May’s wake and funeral! I put it into one chapter to make things easier, and it ended up being one of the longest chapters in this fic. Just a heads up, I’m Catholic, so I based this on how wakes/funerals are viewed in my religion…since that’s what I know…if that makes sense. Plus…there’s never really an indication as to whether Peter is religious or not. Either way, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! I hope you enjoy the chapter!! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Wednesday finally came, and Peter dreaded it more than anything. As soon as he woke up that morning, he knew it was going to be the hardest thing he would ever do in his life. He would have to say goodbye to May…for a long time. The grief weighed down on him. Today was the wake, and tomorrow would be the funeral. May and Ben told him he was too young to remember the wake and funeral for his parents, but…he remembered Ben’s. He remembered friends, distant relatives, and even complete strangers coming up to him giving their condolences. He couldn’t help but wonder if Tony and Pepper were going to leave him to stand at the front by himself or it they would be there with him. Usually, the family of the deceased stood at the front of the room, but…Peter had no family left. Tony was legally charged with taking care of him, but would he feel obligated to stand up there with Peter?

He didn’t have much time to think about that as he and Tony spent the entire morning with watching some movies. The wake wasn’t until later in the day, so they had time to relax. Although, Peter found himself wishing that this could be over and done with. As much as he wished they could get all the arrangements over with, Peter also wished that they didn’t have to do this…to say goodbye to May. There was a part of him that wished she would come into the penthouse ready to live with them, but that was never going to happen…all because someone ran a red light.

The more hours and minutes ticked by until it was time for Tony, Pepper, and Peter to get ready…the more Peter didn’t want to go through with this. He wished with all his might that this was some twisted illusion…that some villain simply trapped him in an alternate reality, but it wasn’t. It was all too real…painfully real. The whole time he was getting dressed he wished that something…anything would wake him up from this nightmare, but nothing was happening. It was all still happening, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. Even when he, Pepper, and Tony were driving to the funeral home, he wanted something to stop them from getting anywhere near that place. He wanted nothing more than to scream at the top of his lungs for Tony to stop the car…that he didn’t want to see his aunt like this…in a coffin…not moving…the complete opposite of who she was, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He never fully understood why…just that he had to do it. Perhaps, it was because he needed closure. Who knew?

“Okay…here we are,” Tony quietly announced jolting Peter out of his thoughts.

The boy looked up, and sure enough, they were pulling into the parking lot of the funeral home. He took a deep, shaky breath seeing the building looming over them as his heart pounded.

Pepper looked at him and held out a hand to him, and Peter quickly grabbed it with his while making sure not to hurt her with his super strength. “It’s okay, Peter,” Pepper whispered.

It immediately reminded Peter of when May held his hand before they walked into the exact same funeral home for Ben’s wake and funeral.

“Do you want to sit in the car for a few minutes, kid?” Tony asked. “We can do that. They won’t do anything without us, and everybody is supposed to come later in an hour.”

He knew that Tony was right. Everyone was coming in an hour, and the funeral director wanted the three of them to get there before everyone to have some private time.

“Uhh…y-yeah…m-maybe for…five minutes? I-I’m not—”

“That’s okay, sweetheart,” Pepper said gently. “That’s totally okay.”

Without saying another word, Tony quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car moving to the back passenger door and opening it. Then he immediately got back in sitting in the seat next to Peter wrapping an arm around him hugging him close. None of them dared to say another word for the next five minutes.

* * *

Those five minutes were up sooner than Peter expected, and next thing he knew, Tony and Pepper were leading him into the funeral home. It was the same funeral home they went to a few days ago to make all the arrangements. It was sort of like a house, and Peter couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Being someone who saved lives and stopped the bad guys, he couldn’t understand how anyone could work in a place like a funeral home. How did they feel about it? Did it ever get to them? If that was the case, the funeral director didn’t let anyone see it as he greeted the three of them and showed them to the room where May was.

The funeral director stepped aside at the doorway, and sure enough, at the front of the room, there was May…at the front of the room in the mahogany coffin. As soon as Peter laid his eyes on her and gasped, tears brimmed in his eyes as his knees shook threatening to let him fall to the floor, but two pairs of hands on either side of him caught him before he could even touch the floor.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Tony said. “We got you.”

“We got you, sweetheart,” Pepper whispered as they each held onto him tightly.

Peter tried to speak, but all that came out was sobs at the sight of his beloved aunt. This was another reminder that she was dead…that she was never going to be around anymore…that Peter was truly alone…the last Parker. Pepper and Tony must’ve guided him to a seat in the back because next thing he knew…he was sitting down in a chair in the back corner of the room.

“I-I’m sorry…” Peter somehow managed to say as his guardian and his guardian’s fiancée sat down on either side of him.

“No, no, don’t apologize, Pete,” Tony quickly said as he rubbed the boy’s back. “This is all perfectly normal.”

“Y-You’re just saying that,” Peter said through his sobs.

“No, no, we’re not,” Pepper said firmly. “It’s okay to be upset, Peter.”

Peter tried to say something else but could only let out sobs as he buried his face in his hands. He could hear someone—he didn’t see if it was Tony or Pepper—gently shushing him. Tony and Pepper weren’t saying anything else though, so Peter figured that they were waiting for him to calm down. He was wasting time.

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry, guys,” he finally said after a minute. “I know I’m wasting—“

“No, buddy, no, you’re not,” Tony said as he moved from Peter’s left so that he was kneeling in front of the teen and getting Peter to look up at him. ‘This is all warranted. You’re allowed to be upset. She’s your aunt, a loved one who has been there through thick and thin for you.”

Peter nodded sobbing even more as he reached forward wrapping his arms around Tony’s neck hugging him tightly, and Tony quickly returned the gesture.

Tony looked over Peter’s shoulder at Pepper, who had tears forming in her eyes as she rubbed the kid’s back. Their hearts broke watching Peter go through this.

“Please don’t leave me alone, Tony,” Peter pleaded. “I-I can’t…I…can’t do this a—”

“You don’t need to ask, sweetheart,” Pepper quickly said. “We’re not leaving you.”

“We’re right here with you…no matter what,” Tony said rubbing his back as well. “Okay? No matter what. I told you, you call the shots, but you’re not doing any of this alone.”

Peter nodded. He believed Tony and Pepper as he tried to calm himself down in Tony’s arms. He felt safe and secure in this embrace, and he didn’t want it to stop. May was no longer around to do that, but…Tony could continue to do that…and Pepper, too. They could never replace May, Ben, or his parents, but Tony was his new guardian. That was his job now.

“Hey, kid, listen to me,” Tony finally said as he pulled away so that he was looking right at the teen, “if it gets to be too much, just tell us, and we’ll take you home, okay?”

Peter looked at Tony through bloodshot eyes. He wanted Tony to know that it wasn’t too much for him. He’d dealt with this before, so he was…unfortunately…used to it. However, he didn’t have it in him to protest, and he just nodded. “Okay, Tony,” he said. “Umm…can you come up with me to see her?”

“Absolutely,” Tony replied.

* * *

Peter stayed close to Tony and Pepper throughout the wake in the front row. People came over to him to express their condolences, and he tried his best to muster up a sad smile as he thanked people for coming. They were mostly May’s co-workers and May and Ben’s friends; Peter wasn’t sure if he expected Tony and Pepper’s friends to come. However, Happy, Vision, and Rhodey eventually showed up, and Ned and MJ came with their respective parents. They each hugged him tightly before their parents silently reassuring him that they were there for him if he needed anything.

“Thank you, guys,” Peter whispered as they found themselves in a group hug. He peeked over MJ and Ned’s shoulders over at May’s still body. He wished more than ever that she would be there with them. He wished more than ever that this was a nightmare that he would wake up from…in his apartment, and tears welled up in his eyes again.

Tony looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the three friends hugging each other closely. He could see the tears falling down his face, and his heart broke for the millionth time in the last few days. He wanted to go over to Peter and comfort him, but with Ned and MJ holding him in a group hug, he didn’t want to risk overwhelming the kid. Plus, Ned’s mother and MJ’s parents were talking to him and Pepper.

“It’s all just so awful,” Mrs. Leeds said wiping her tears. “May was such a good person, and she loved Peter. Ned always loved going over there.”

She was right. It _was_ awful…It wasn’t _fair_ …at all to May or to Peter. Neither of them did anything to deserve being separated so cruelly and so suddenly.

“Ned and Michelle told us how close you and Peter are,” Mrs. Jones suddenly said. “Thank you for not sending him into the system…for taking him in. I don’t know how the three of them would handle being separated, especially after Peter just lost his aunt.”

“Well, we’re not…completely out of the woods yet,” Tony replied. “They still need to grant me full custody, and a social worker is going to check in from time to time.”

“If there’s anything you need,” Mrs. Leeds quickly said as she took out a piece of paper and a pen writing down her contact information and the Jones’ information, “you let us know. We love Peter, and we want to help him in any way we can.”

She was about to hand the paper to Tony when Pepper swiftly stepped in and gently took it before her fiancé could say anything.

“Thank you, Mrs. Leeds,” Pepper said smiling.

“You’re welcome, Ms. Potts,” Ned’s mother replied. “I can see why May thought so highly of you two. She always talked about how Mr. Stark took Peter under his wing with the internship. I can certainly tell that he’s in good hands.”

“I’m going to do what I can,” Tony replied with a small smile. He was trying his hardest to maintain his composure, but on the inside, he was so overwhelmed with the further evidence that May trusted him and held him in the highest regard when it came to Peter.

* * *

“Peter was right,” Tony said later that night. “This was probably the hardest day ever, and the funeral is tomorrow.” He finished brushing his teeth and walked out of the bathroom finding Pepper looking at her Stark Pad in bed.

She sighed. “I know,” she said, “and then comes after the fact.” She watched her fiancé climb into bed next to her.

Tony knew that she was right as always. He thought back on those long hours at the funeral home today for May’s wake…how Peter was barely able to stay standing when he first saw his aunt’s body. When they got home back at the tower, both he and Pepper saw how drained the teenager was and immediately convinced him to go to bed and get some sleep. It was around 10:00, so Peter didn’t protest how early it was and went right to bed with some enhanced Tylenol—made by Tony—and some water. The billionaire sighed as the mere thought of Peter’s grief made his heart break again.

“I feel so helpless, Pep,” he finally said out loud. “I mean, for the past 10 months, I’ve been giving him all these upgrades in his suit…I helped him get out of bad situations…” His mind went back to the ferry incident, the kidnapping incident…keeping him from ending up on Ross’ radar… “but with this…I mean what Mrs. Leeds said about May trusting me with Peter…I-I feel like I’m letting him down. I can’t save him from this grief. I can’t bring May back…I can’t go back in time and stop the accident…” He sighed as a tear escaped his eye as he gripped his left arm.

Pepper reached over and gently wrapped an arm around him pulling him close to her side kissing him on the cheek. “I know it feels like that,” she said, “but you’re not. You’re doing a lot more than you think for him. You heard him today. He asked us to stick by him during the wake, and not once did we leave his side. We gave him space with his two friends, but you were ready to jump in when you needed to.” She rubbed his shoulder. “You’re great with him, and more importantly, he sees that.”

“Well, I’m not doing it alone,” he said after a moment of silence looking at the blonde woman next to him. “You’ve been great, too, Pep, and I couldn’t do this without you.”

Pepper smiled before leaning over kissing him on the cheek. “He’s going to be okay,” she whispered. “We’ll get him through this.”

* * *

Peter could’ve sworn he was on autopilot from the minute he woke up the next morning. His eyes felt puffy from yesterday, and he couldn’t bring himself to cry again when he woke up. Sleep didn’t do much to help him last night despite what Tony and Pepper said, but the teen knew they meant well, especially Tony. They had been great the past few days, especially the wake yesterday. He asked them to stick by him, and that was exactly what they did…despite how childish that might’ve sounded.

After showering and getting dressed in the same suit, Peter found himself struggling to put his necktie on in front of the mirror. He didn’t even bother to put on a video tutorial as it would’ve been yet another painful reminder of May not being here to help him. After trying three times, he groaned in exasperation and fell back on his bed with his face in his hands.

A knock came at his door. “Peter…?” Tony said through the door. “Can I come in, buddy?”

Peter sniffled and wiped his face. “Yeah, I guess…” he said solemnly. He didn’t even bother to look up as the door opened.

“I just wanted to see if…” Tony stopped as soon as he saw the kid. “You okay, buddy?”

The teen looked up at Tony allowing the man to see the tears in his eyes.

“Sorry, bud, bad questions, I—”

“No, it’s okay, Tony, I just—” He looked down at his necktie in his hands.

“You need help?”

“Yeah…I-I know you’ve tried to help me before, but I just got frustrated…I guess.”

Tony knelt down in front of Peter lightly gripping the boy’s arms. “It’s okay, Peter,” he said softly. “I know. You need some help?”

Peter nodded, and then the two of them stood up allowing Tony to fix his tie. “Thanks, Tony,” he said as soon as the billionaire finished tying his tie.

“No problem, buddy,” Tony replied. “Remember what we said a few months ago…when we were…you know…kidnapped? We’re a team, we got each other’s backs, right?”

Peter nodded remembering that conversation just a few months ago…when May was alive. He and Tony were a team, and May saw it that day. “Y-You…You’re not going to leave me, right? Today…I mean…?”

Tony smiled sadly before pulling his mentee into a hug. “Of course, buddy,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere today, and neither is Pepper. We’re right here with you, kid.”

Peter buried his face into Tony’s shoulder while trying not to hug him too tightly with his super strength. “Thank you,” he said, “again.”

The veteran superhero chuckled as he hugged the boy just a little tighter. “No problem, kid,” he said.

* * *

Peter once again found himself on autopilot as Pepper and Tony took him back to the funeral home…where May was. Rhodey, Happy, and Vision followed them in another car and stuck with them as they waited for more people to arrive to give his aunt one last farewell. As soon as people including Ned, MJ, and their parents arrived, the funeral director came in and gave his instructions…how they were going to go to the church for May’s funeral mass…then drive to the apartment building…and then to the cemetery. Then he started calling for people to pay their respects to May before they went to their cars. Peter watched as Happy, Rhodey, Vision, Ned, MJ, and their parents each went up to May silently telling her goodbye. He looked at Tony and Pepper out of the corner of his eye and noticed that they hadn’t gone up yet to say goodbye to May. They were still standing right next to him, and he couldn’t help but feel relief wash over him. When he and May did the same thing for Ben’s funeral, they were the only ones who went up when the funeral director called the family, and there was a part of him that wondered if he would’ve had to go up alone. No…Tony and Pepper would be there…just as Tony promised…just like…family? Was it family? Tony was going to be his guardian in a matter of days…and they spent a lot of time together over the past 10 months…was it family? He liked to think so, but was that weird?

“And now, will the family please come up?” the funeral director suddenly said unknowingly interrupting Peter’s thoughts.

The teenaged vigilante let out a shaky breath as he looked at Tony, who was walking over to him with a sad smile on his face. He could only nod and stand up allowing the billionaire to put his arm around him.

“Come on, buddy,” Tony whispered as he gently guided Peter toward May with Pepper behind them.

Peter looked up and noticed that everyone had cleared the room to go to their cars leaving him alone with Tony, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Vision, and the funeral director. Then…he looked back at May…lying in the coffin…so still, and it was at that moment that Peter realized that he was never going to see May…again aside from pictures and videos… Tears formed in his eyes as he reached out resting his hand on May’s hand feeling how cold it was. He sniffled as he bent down kissing her forehead. “I love you so much, May,” he whispered sniffling.

“We’ll take care of him, May,” Tony whispered. “I promise, we won’t let you down.”

More tears flowed down his cheeks as Peter turned around hugging Tony yet again, and the man wasted no time in returning the gesture. He figured Tony and Pepper must’ve agreed to leave because they started moving away from the coffin, and Peter quickly looked over his shoulder still holding onto Tony trying to get one last look at May. He felt like he was leaving her behind, and he couldn’t bring himself to go back. He just wanted to stay close to Tony and Pepper. He wasn’t sure if it was a family…or friends…whatever it was called, but one thing was for sure…Tony and Pepper were his source of comfort. He didn’t want to lose that. It kept him grounded in the midst of the overwhelming grief.

The five of them walked out of the funeral home with the funeral director to the cars. Tony and Pepper guided him into a limo—a little black car—that was right in front. He forgot that they had set that up instead of Tony driving them. Perhaps, they wanted to be able to comfort Peter just in case, but he barely had time to think about that as he followed Tony into the limo with Pepper right behind him. When he got in, he saw Rhodey, Vision, and Happy getting into Happy’s car, and he figured that they were going to follow the limo…with the hearse in the lead.

As soon as he remembered the hearse, the black vehicle suddenly drove up from behind to get in front of the limo, and he knew instantly that May was already inside. As he stared at the vehicle in front of them, he felt Tony wrap his arm around him allowing him to rest his head on the billionaire’s shoulder. This was getting harder and harder…but with Tony and Pepper, Peter felt like he had the strength to push through…slowly but surely.

* * *

“And now, May’s nephew Peter will come up here and say a few words,” the priest said.

Peter looked up at the priest sitting in the presider’s chair on the altar, and then he looked at Tony, who was sitting right next to him.

The billionaire smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “You got this, kid,” he whispered.

The teenaged vigilante smiled and nodded, and then he took a folded paper out of his suit pocket and stood up. He then walked out of the pew and made his way up to the pulpit, and then he unfolded the paper to read the eulogy he wrote for May. Peter looked up and saw Tony and Pepper sitting in the front row with May’s coffin in the middle aisle and with 20=30 people sitting behind them. He could easily make out Ned, MJ, Happy, Vision, and Rhodey. Then with one last look at Tony, he took a deep breath and began to read his eulogy.

“If someone had asked me…what a mom or a parent was like to me…” he began, “May Parker is the one I think of. I don’t remember much of my parents…they passed away when I was young…too young to understand what this all meant…the concept of losing a loved one…someone who has been there for you through thick and thin for me…” The eulogy continued from there as Peter slowly found the strength to keep going. There was a part of him that thought May’s spirit was right behind him running a hand through his hair reading it along with him.

Time seemed to pass agonizingly slow as he continued to read his speech, and finally, he reached the last sentence of the speech.

“I love you so much, Aunt May,” he said with a shaky breath. “I miss you like crazy, and I know that you, Uncle Ben, Mom and Dad will always be with me.” There was no applause, but Peter’s sensitive hearing could pick up some sniffling from the congregation as he walked down the stairs back to the pew where Tony and Pepper sat.

“Great job, kiddo,” Tony whispered. “She would be so proud of you.”

Peter gave another small smile and then looked at the coffin knowing that his aunt was in there, and then as they stood for the final blessing…Peter saw the pallbearers coming up on the side aisles of the church…ready to take his aunt away. His mind screamed to stop them because he knew what was to come after this, but…his body remained where it was as the pallbearers moved closer to his aunt’s coffin.

* * *

Just as the funeral director said, they were stopping at the apartment building first…slowing May to say goodbye to her home before going to her final resting place. That was how May explained it to him when the exact same thing was done for Ben about a year or so ago. Although, Peter couldn’t help but think as he watched the hearse and then looked up at the building though the window knowing that he would be saying goodbye to the apartment too. They still needed to move May’s things, and then…that would be it. However, he shook his head; he couldn’t think about that right now.

Without much warning, the funeral procession began to move again after that moment of silence and made its way to the cemetery. Peter sighed shakily as he rested his head on Tony’s shoulder. This was only getting harder and harder, and Peter wanted nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare.

Soon enough, they arrived at the St. Mary Cemetery parking not too far from the grave. Peter immediately recognized it as he and May had gone there often to visit Ben after he passes away. May always made it a little…routine…tradition…something—he wasn’t sure of the right word to use—to visit him on his birthday, his and May’s anniversary, and holidays specifically Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Father’s Day. Now, he was going to have to do it by himself…for both of them.

He, Tony, and Pepper stood off to the side of the grave with everyone gathered around it as the priest stood next to the headstone. Peter tried to listen, but he found himself staring at the headstone…that still only had Ben’s name…and May’s coffin. Then he looked at the rose in his hands. The funeral director had given one to him as soon as they arrived, and he looked at Tony and Pepper out of the corner of his eye. They were holding roses too…just like everyone else.

“Thank you, Fr. John,” the funeral director finally said as soon as the priest finished the blessing. Peter really wished that he had taken a minute before speaking to slow this down, but…the teen knew that was wishful thinking. “And now, I would like to ask everyone to come up and say their final goodbye to May and place their rose on the coffin before returning to their cars and leaving the cemetery. Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts also ask for Peter to have some private time to grieve. First, we’ll start with friends of May.”

As soon as he heard that, Peter’s head shot up, and he immediately looked up at Tony.

“Don’t worry, we’re not leaving you, bud,” Tony whispered to him. “Pep and I are right here with you. We just didn’t want anyone staring at you. It’s up to you when you want to leave, okay?”

Peter let out a shaky breath as he nodded furiously feeling some relief wash over him. As much as he wanted some time to give his aunt a final goodbye, he wanted Tony. He really wanted Tony…and Pepper to be there with him…like they had been. Soon enough…everyone was slowly going up to May, placing their roses on the coffin, and leaving the grave making their way to their cars. He saw Ned and MJ do the same before leaving with their parents as he mentally promised to text or call them later as they hugged him goodbye.

Finally, Rhodey, Happy, and Vision did the same before shaking hands with Peter and walking back to the cars waiting for him, Tony, and Pepper.

“Pep and I are going next,” Tony whispered to him, “but then we’re going to be right there with you. You take your time, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter said quietly.

Tony nodded patting Peter on the shoulder before walking up to the grave with Pepper. Both Tony and Pepper placed their roses on the coffin, and then Tony got down on a knee placing a hand on it sighing sadly. “I promise I’ll take care of him,” Tony whispered. “You and Ben can rest easy now, May. I won’t let you down, and I know you’ll still keep an eye on him from wherever you are. You always did.” With one last pat on the coffin, he and Pepper moved away from the grave and looked at Peter.

He and Pepper watched Peter move up to the coffin, and Tony was about to walk up to him. However, Pepper gently placed a hand on his arm silently telling him to give the kid some time alone for a moment.

Peter knelt down and placed the rose on the coffin before placing his hand on the coffin and placing a kiss on it. “I love you, Aunt May,” he said as tears formed in his eyes. “I love both you and Ben so much, and I’ll never forget you, I promise.” Within seconds, he finally broke down sobbing placing his head on the coffin. “I promise, May.”

Both Tony and Pepper felt their hearts break at the sight yet again, and Tony just couldn’t take it anymore and quickly rushed over to Peter kneeling down next to him gently wrapping an arm around him rubbing his shoulder. “It’s okay, buddy,” Tony whispered. “It’s okay.”

“I’m…I’m…” Peter sobbed.

“No, no, no apologies, Peter,” Tony quickly replied. “It’s okay, alright? It’s okay, buddy.” He barely noticed that Pepper came up next to them following suit in rubbing Peter’s back as the kid continued to sob.

“I miss her…I miss her so much,” Peter said as he continued to cry turning and hugging Tony around his middle. “I want her back…I want Aunt May back.”

“I know, buddy,” Tony said burying his face into Peter’s hair and gently pulling Pepper into the hug as well. “I know.”

“We both know, sweetheart,” Pepper whispered. “She’s always with you…both her and Ben. They’re always with you.”

The three of them stayed like that for a few minutes in their group hug until Peter finally calmed down and finally mustered up the courage to leave. Pepper and Tony slowly helped him up and walked him back toward the car that would escort them back to the funeral home to get Tony’s car. Thankfully, there was no luncheon, so Peter knew that Pepper and Tony would immediately take him back to the tower, which was exactly what they did. On the way back to the tower, Tony sat in the backseat with Peter while Pepper drove back.

* * *

Soon enough, they approached the tower when Pepper pulled into the parking garage. They pulled up to the valet, and when Pepper turned around, she found Tony with his arm around Peter, who appeared to have been staring off into space.

“She…she’s really gone…” Peter suddenly said as tears formed in his eyes. It was a familiar sensation…a cold and cruel realization… He felt the same thing when his uncle was buried…when he and May came home after the funeral. Funerals and wakes…they were expected whenever someone died. Yes, it was hard to get through, but it was all part of a routine of some sort that everyone went through. Then…what came after that? It hit him even harder that May was…gone…dead. He was never going to see her again…never going to cuddle with her on the couch again…never going to eat Thai food with her again… All those plans they made for the future…like a trip for when he would graduate or her moving him into college…went down the drain in just a matter of seconds. He looked at Tony allowing the billionaire to see the helplessness…the anguish on his face. “She…May…She…She’s never coming back…”

“Pete…” Tony said sadly before pulling him into a hug.

“I’m never going to see her again…” Peter said as tears formed in his eyes. “I-I-I…I don’t…” He sobbed into Tony’s chest. “Tony…I don’t know…what to do now…”

“I know…I know…” Tony whispered into his hair. “Believe me, buddy, I know.” Most of his time grieving his parents was a blur for…a number of reasons, but Tony knew that feeling of being lost and helpless after his parents were…killed…after their wake and funeral. He would never hear his father talking about Captain America again. It wasn’t that he enjoyed listening to Howard talk about the super soldier. He hated it…despised it, but…it was odd in a sense when he realized that he was never going to have that life anymore.

For Peter, he knew it was worse. May was all he had left. She was his mother figure…father figure…aunt…support system…all rolled into one ever since Ben died. They were a team before Tony came along, and now that was just gone. The memories would be cherished, but that wasn’t enough. It never was, and Peter was going to need all the support he could get to get through the grieving process.

“We’ll get you through this, Peter,” he whispered. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd that’s all for this chapter, boys and girls! I know that was a LONG chapter, but I’m sure you all enjoyed that immensely! Stay tuned to CHAPTER 13! Don’t forget to read and review! Thanks again, guys, and I will see you in the next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, my readers! I’m sorry for taking a while, but I’m finally back with another chapter of Raise Me Up. Thank you so much for the support and the feedback in the last chapter! I really appreciate it! I know it was pretty heavy, and unfortunately, this is a heavy topic and it kind of took a lot out of me. But going forward should be a bit lighter. This is something Peter will never truly get over, but the funeral and wake are over and done with. CHAPTER 13 takes place immediately after as Peter and Tony took about a few things and Peter continues to work through the grief over May’s loss and to accept just how much Tony and Pepper want him around. I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

After some time in the car, Peter managed to calm down allowing Tony and Pepper to take him back upstairs, and as soon as they got back to the penthouse, Peter went to his room to change out of his suit leaving Tony and Pepper in the living room.

“I have to get to work downstairs,” Pepper said as soon as Peter closed the door to his room. “You two going to be okay?”

“Yeah,” Tony said nodding, “I mean…I hope so. We’ll just take it easy and watch some movies.”

“I know you will be,” Pepper replied smiling. “You’ve been great with him, Tony.”

“We…were great with him, Pep,” Tony quickly added. “He…He needs us…more than ever.”

His fiancée smiled even more and nodded. “He does,” she said, “and we’ll be there for him…just as May wanted.” She then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Call me if you two need anything. I just have calls today, so I’ll be around for dinner tonight.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Tony said smiling.

* * *

As soon as Pepper left, Tony went to his room to change out of his suit as well. There were some perks of having his fiancée run his company, and one of them was the fact that he would get to spend time with Peter after the funeral and not have to rush back to work leaving Peter by himself after what was probably the hardest thing he would ever have to deal with. As soon as they were both in shorts and T-shirts, Tony ordered pizza for lunch, and they settled down on the couch to watch a movie of Peter’s choosing.

“Hey, Tony?” Peter suddenly asked as the movie started.

“Yeah, kid?” Tony replied slightly startled as the kid suddenly spoke since his breakdown in the car.

Peter opened his mouth to say something but stopped…completely unsure as to how to say what he wanted to say. Instead, he took a deep breath and leaned forward wrapping his arms around Tony’s middle burying his face in the man’s chest. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous as the billionaire quickly returned the gesture wrapping his arms around Peter. Peter couldn’t help but sigh feeling the warmth and security Tony’s embraces had been providing lately.

“Thank you…for your support…for everything today…” Peter said after a moment. “What you and Pepper did for me today and last night…and the last few days…it really means a lot to me.”

Tony rested his chin on Peter’s head hugging him just a little tighter wishing with all his might that the circumstances were much different for his charge. He wished that May were still here for Peter. Not because he didn’t want to be there for Peter. That was the whole reason he reached out to Peter in the first place. He wanted to be there for Peter, but he hated that Peter was going through so much pain as he did with his parents, uncle, and aunt all suddenly dying. However, he was glad that he could be there to help pick up the pieces…pick up where May left off. He hated the idea of Peter being forced to go into foster care. “You’re welcome, kid,” he said. “You know I would do anything for you. Same goes for Pepper too.”

Peter nodded. “That’s why I’m thanking you,” he said with a small smile.

Tony snorted not wanting to pull away from the embrace. “Fair point,” he said.

“Is Pepper going to come back later?” Peter asked after another moment of silence. “I wanted to thank her, too.”

Tony smiled. Despite the tragedy in his life, Peter always kept his pure heart and kindness. May and Ben definitely raised him right. “Yeah, she’ll be back for dinner,” he said. “She had to get back for some calls.”

Peter nodded against the man’s chest mentally making a note to himself to do just that as soon as she came up. He took a deep breath as he turned his sights back to the movie still in the safety of Tony’s arms. He felt so emotionally drained after the events of the past two days, but the safety and security that came with Tony’s embrace kept him grounded just as it had been.

* * *

The next few hours consisted of movies and lab time for Tony and Peter, and it turned out to be what Peter needed after such an emotional day. He needed to distract himself and to slowly work into a normal routine of some sorts, which Tony was happy to provide. They were able to get a little more work done on Tony’s nanotechnology project. He and Peter had been working on it for the past few months, and Peter couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness remembering that they started this project before May died.

The teenaged vigilante remembered the first time he told May about the project…how she smiled at him clearly happy that he and Tony found something else to work on together. He remembered how she asked questions and tried to understand the project…and when she said that she couldn’t wait to see it when it would finally be completed. Despite the pain of the realization that she would never get to see it, he continued to work on the project.

“You know when we first started this,” Peter said as he handed Tony another tool while looking at their notes, “May asked me if you ever got the name from _Big Hero 6_.”

The billionaire snorted. Obviously, she was joking and knew what Peter was talking about. “Oh, did she?” he finally asked smiling.

Peter nodded very enthusiastically. “Yeah,” he replied chuckling at the memory. “Then she said to make sure that a masked man doesn’t steal it.”

Tony laughed at the comment. “I think we’ll be just fine, buddy,” he said smiling warmly.

Silence fell upon this again as the guardian and his ward continued to work on the project.

“Umm…Tony?” Peter finally said after a few minutes of working with the nanotechnology.

“What’s up, Pete?”

“Can I ask you something…about the social worker and the whole…guardianship thing?” He was so focused on dealing with the loss of his aunt and his new living situation with Tony and Pepper, but now that the wake and the funeral were done with, he had a little more clarity to realize that Tony mentioned something about a court date and the social worker.

Tony looked up from his holographic screen and right at Peter. Not because he was disturbed or mad about it, but because he himself realized that this was the first time Peter brought it up since they last talked about it…the day after May died. “Uhh…yeah, sure, buddy,” he said gently. He wasn’t sure if he was expecting Peter to bring it up at this point or wait until after the fact.

“Umm…y-you said that the social worker was going to check in on us and that we needed a court date to get permanent custody, right?”

“Right…”

“Well, w-when is all that happening, I guess?”

“Uhhh…well, the social worker said she was going to reach out to us about when we can meet with her,” Tony began, “and the lawyers are going to let us know if a court date has been set yet. We wanted to wait until after…you know…”

Peter knew exactly what Tony was talking about. He and Pepper definitely made sure the social worker and the guardianship was dealt with after May’s wake and funeral, which made sense, as Peter knew that he wouldn’t have the mental capacity to deal with that in the last few days. He smiled to himself at the thought of Tony and Pepper looking out for him, but then he felt a small knot in his stomach at that very thought not out of dread though. Peter couldn’t help but feel that he was just another burden to the billionaire. It was one thing when he was just Tony’s mentee and visited once to a few times a week, but now…Tony was actually responsible for him. He had only just started living in the penthouse with Tony and Pepper, and they had to focus as much of their time on him.

“Pete…are you okay?”

Peter looked up only to see Tony staring at him with concern written all over his face. “Y-Yeah, I-I’m fine,” he replied. “I-I just…I’m sorry for being such a burden…to you and Pepper.”

Tony looked up from the project and stared at Peter for a few moments before walking over to him. “Peter, listen to me,” he said grabbing Peter by the shoulders. “You…are _not_ a burden, you hear me?”

“Tony—”

“No, none of that, okay? Pepper and I want…to do this. _I_ want to do this. Not just because May asked me to do it, but because I want you here with us. The idea of you…going off somewhere,” he didn’t mention the foster care system, but both he and Tony knew what he was referring to, “and never seeing you again…” Tony let out a shaky breath, “it…it drives me crazy. You aren’t a burden. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, kid, and no matter what happens, Pepper and I are in this for the long haul, okay?”

Peter’s lip trembled as tears formed in his eyes as he stared at the man in front of him. “R-Really?” he managed to get out. “Y-You really mean that?”

“Every single word, kid,” Tony said. “I don’t want you to think that you’re a burden…ever…I told you before, I wouldn’t have done any of this if I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t have let May even put my name on that document if I didn’t want her to, okay?”

The teenaged boy nodded as tears streamed down his face… Hearing the certainty and the firmness in Tony’s voice only proved just how serious he was about their current situation and how much he wanted to help, and it helped to lift a huge weight off Peter’s shoulders. Whether he saw Peter as a son…or a charge…or whatever or not just as Peter sort of saw him as a father figure, Peter wasn’t sure, but that was okay for now. He was just thrilled that Tony wanted him living here to begin with, and with that, he moved forward wrapping his arms around Tony’s middle hugging him close. “Thank you, Tony,” he whispered.

“You’re welcome, buddy,” Tony replied quickly returning the gesture. “Everything will fall into place, I promise. We just got to take one day at a time.”

Peter could only nod against Tony’s chest as he continued to cry. “I-I’m sorr—”

“No, no sorry, kid,” Tony said quickly.

“No, please, let me finish,” Peter said quickly.

Tony paused for a moment before nodding.

“I-I don’t want you to think that I’m not grateful or anything,” Peter finally said. “I am grateful, Tony, for everything you’ve done for me, especially when…well, when May died, and I want to be here, too…with you. I really am glad she chose you, but I just don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile to himself knowing just how selfless his protégé was. “Trust me, kiddo,” he said. “I’ve never felt like that, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter whispered. “I believe you, Tony.” They stayed like that—locked in each other’s arms—embracing the warmth, comfort, and safety it brought them for a few more moments.

Tony smiled. This was progress, and he was willing to take it. He was going to do whatever it took to make sure that Peter felt safe and…loved in the penthouse with him and Pepper.

“Boss, I’m sorry to interrupt,” FRIDAY finally said after a moment, “but Ms. Potts arrived. She’s on her way down to the lab.”

“Perfect timing, FRI,” Tony said as he slowly pulled away from the boy in his arms.

As soon as he said that, Pepper came off the elevator and made her way into the lab…with a bag of Chinese food. “I come bearing food,” she said with a smile on her face.

“You are a Godsend, Pep,” Tony said as he walked up to her giving a chaste kiss on the lips.

Peter smiled as he watched the scene unfold between Tony and Pepper, and he couldn’t help but think about how May and Ben were before the latter died. They would always sneak chaste kisses whenever either May or Ben came home from work late or when they were taking walks through the neighborhood. Normally, Peter liked to tease his aunt and uncle whenever that happened, but right now, he wasn’t sure if he could do that with his guardian and his fiancée. _Baby steps_. Like Tony said, they needed to take one step at a time. Maybe, one day, they would get there just like when he and Tony eventually became more comfortable around each other.

“Hey, Pepper,” Peter said as he walked over to the couple.

“Hey, Peter,” Pepper said as she placed the Chinese food on a small nearby table, “how are you feeling?”

Instead of answering, the teenaged vigilante simply hugged the CEO of Stark Industries. “Thank you so much,” he said, “for everything today.”

It didn’t take Pepper long to figure out what exactly Peter was referring to as she hugged Peter in return. “Of course, Peter,” she said running a hand through his hair. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“I know,” Peter replied, “but I felt bad for not doing it earlier when we got back. I wanted to make sure you know that I appreciated it.”

“Sweetheart, please don’t feel bad,” Pepper quickly said as she pulled away. “Believe me, I get it. I felt the same way when my parents died. I know you appreciated it. You don’t have to prove anything to me or Tony.”

“I know,” Peter replied, “but I always want to make sure, you know?”

Tony couldn’t help but chuckle at the scene between his fiancé and their…ward or kid…he still wasn’t sure, but that was for another day. So far, as they gathered together to eat, everything seemed to be okay.

* * *

_“MAY!”_

_CRASH!_

_Peter opened his eyes slowly and saw that he was in the car…Aunt May’s car. The window was cracked, and sirens surrounded him with noises and flashes of red and blue. Help was already here as a hopeful smile etched onto his face. He and May were going to get out of here and get help. He froze suddenly when he remembered…May! He looked to his left and saw…_

_“May!”_

_His aunt was unconscious…not moving in her seat, and Peter quickly ripped the seatbelt off and moved closer to May’s still form gently shaking his shoulder. “May! May, can you hear me?” he said frantically. “Aunt May, wake up! Help is here!”_

_May suddenly jolted awake causing Peter to practically jump out of his skin. He let out a small smile when he saw that May was awake and looking at him. She was okay! She was awake!_

_“You…could’ve…saved me…” she whispered with a struggle in her voice._

_Peter’s smile fell when he heard that from May…of all people. Tears formed in his eyes as he stared at May as he realized that she was right. They were beeped at…because of his spider-sense…It was his fault…_

_“W-Why didn’t you?” May whispered after a moment…before letting out a breath and going still._

_“N-No…no…May…Aunt May…?” he began as he tried to shake her awake again. “Aunt May, no, no! Wake up! Don’t leave me! I’m sorry! I’m sorry, May! May, please! Please!”_

_“Peter…”_

_“May, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”_

_“Peter, wake up…”_

_“No, no, no, come back, May!”_

_“PETER!”_

* * *

Peter suddenly jolted awake with tears streaming down his face and found himself face-to-face with Tony.

“Peter, you okay, kid?” Tony asked with concern ringing in his voice.

“T-Tony?” Peter asked shakily. He noticed that the billionaire was holding onto his arms tightly as if he was shaking him awake.

“Yeah, it’s me, kiddo,” Tony said quickly. “You’re okay, you’re okay, it was just a bad dream.”

The teen furrowed his eyebrows together and looked around feeling the adrenaline leave him. He saw that he was still in his bedroom in the penthouse…at Stark Tower, and the funeral for his aunt was earlier that day. He went to bed after he, Pepper, and Tony finished watching a movie. It was just a bad dream…a nightmare, but that didn’t stop the tears from forming in his eyes. May…or dream-May’s words rang fresh in his head reaffirming something that was buried deep inside him ever since the accident.

_“You…could’ve…saved…me…”_

_“Why didn’t you?”_

“Kiddo?” Tony suddenly said after giving Peter a minute.

Peter looked up at Tony again as tears formed in his eyes. “I…I could’ve saved her…” he said.

“What?”

“It…oh my god…it was my fault…” Peter said as the tears flowed down his cheeks. “Tony…May’s dead…because of me…” He began to sob.

“Peter, Peter, what are you talking about?” Tony quickly asked as he sat down while holding onto the teenager’s shoulders. Why was he all of a sudden blaming himself for the accident?

“I-In…my dream…we…we were at the accident again…and…” Peter let out another sob before continuing, “M-May…she asked me why I didn’t save her…” He sobbed again. “B-Before the accident…m-my senses went off before we drove into the intersection.” He could feel Tony’s intense gaze on him, and he couldn’t bring himself to meet the billionaire’s eyes. Surely, the man would be disappointed in him once he gave the full story. “M-May…she was so focused on me that she didn’t see the light change. Some asshole behind us beeped at us, and we drove into the intersection. Next thing I knew…someone crashed into us. I tried to shout for May, but it was too late.”

Tony had gotten the details from the doctor at the hospital when he went to pick up Peter from the hospital, but Peter hadn’t brought it up. He begrudgingly agreed with Pepper that they needed to let Peter decide on his own time when he was ready to talk about the accident. Now, here they were, at 2:30 in the morning with Peter telling him about the accident, but he didn’t better to comment on it…not when Peter was opening up after it haunted his dreams.

“Okay, but I-I don’t get it, Pete,” Tony began to say. “How…is that—?”

“My senses went off…probably because of that car,” Peter replied tearfully. “I-I didn’t stop the accident, and I could’ve. I could’ve told her to not move. I could’ve…I could’ve reacted faster and jumped on her to protect her, but I didn’t. I—”

“Peter, listen to me,” Tony said quickly as he placed his hands on either side of Peter’s face so that they were looking at each other. “What happened in that accident is not your fault. There was nothing you could’ve done differently. It was a terrible accident. Did the doctor even tell you what happened with the driver who hit you guys?”

Peter thought for a moment and realized that nobody…not even the social worker filled him in on what caused the accident that took his aunt from him. He didn’t even think to ask. He was so overwhelmed the past few days trying to process the fact alone that his aunt was gone, that he never asked. Not only that, but he was knocked out. So it was somewhat fuzzy. All he remembered was seeing the headlights before the car hit them. With that he looked up at Tony and shook his head.

Tony sighed sadly. A part of him mentally kicked himself for not finding out sooner if Peter knew the full extent of the accident. “It was a drunk driver, buddy,” he said gently. “You and May had the right-of-way in that intersection, and the guy sped through his red light. He was probably 20 miles over the limit.”

The teen stared at the billionaire, and a part of him felt at ease in some way knowing more about the other driver. He knew that he and May had a green light, but the fact that he was drunk as well… This all happened because someone made an awful choice. “Thanks for telling me that, Tony, but why do I still feel so lousy? I mean…I still feel like I could’ve—”

“Peter, no. There was nothing you could’ve done to change the outcome of that guy’s choices, and you’re not to be blamed for anything. He was. You’re not at fault for anything. You and May were in the wrong place at the very wrong time, and it was out of your control. Kid, please believe me, this was not your fault.”

“I guess,” Peter said after a moment. “It’s just…I can’t help but wonder…what if, you know?”

“I know,” Tony replied, “but…you can’t do that to yourself. May wouldn’t want you to do that. She would want you to be happy, and I know that for a fact. She wouldn’t want you to feel guilty over something that you couldn’t control.”

Peter realized that Tony had a point. May would never blame him something he couldn’t control…something that neither one of them saw coming. She also would’ve wanted to protect him instead of the other way around, but that still didn’t stop the guilt creeping up in his chest as he remembered what dream-May said to him. “I…I hear what you’re saying, Tony,” he finally said after a moment of silence, “and I’m trying to tell myself that, It’s just—”

“Hard,” Tony said, “I know, I do.” He knew all too well what it felt like to blame oneself for catastrophic events. The Mandarin incident…Ultron…Sokovia Accords…the Avengers splitting up…Pepper, Rhodey, and even Happy had tried to ease his guilt since then, but the guilt always found its way back. Peter himself had been a witness to this a few times. “But…I will do everything I can to help you through this…Both Pepper and I will…I promise…”

Peter looked up at him with tears streaming down his face. “I just miss her so…so much,” he said tearfully. “I-I just want her back.”

Tony quickly moved so that he was sitting next to Peter on the bed wrapping his arms around the teen holding him close. “It’s okay, Pete,” he whispered. “It’s okay.” He sighed as he listened to Peter sobbing in his chest, and it absolutely ached knowing he could never bring May Parker back. He had gotten used to fixing things for Peter that when the one thing no one could ever fix—the death of a loved one—it threw him for a loop. Despite that, he knew he couldn’t give up. He didn’t want to give up on Peter…not when the kid needed him. “I promise, buddy, I promise…everything will be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnd that’s all for Chapter 13, guys! CHAPTER 14 will be coming soon! This was something that Peter had been feeling, and I thought it would come out after the funeral…once everything was over. All a part of the grieving process! Anyway, be on the look out for the next chapter! Don’t forget to read and review! Thanks, guys!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, fellow readers! Welcome back to another chapter of Raise Me Up! We are now at CHAPTER 14! There’s some more fluff in this chapter as Pepper and Tony try to figure out how to help Peter after his nightmare…and…we have a certain guardianship hearing in this chapter! I really hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The first thing Peter noticed as he slowly came out of his slumber was warmth…It sort of felt like a pillow, but then he felt something wrapped around him. He tried to figure out what it was, and realized that it felt like a part of arms wrapped around him. So, it was a person, but who? He slowly opened his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows together when he saw that he was on someone’s chest. A familiar scent wafted in his nostrils, and he furrowed his eyebrows together even more. Sure enough, he looked up and knew exactly who it was. It was Tony, and that was when Peter remembered what happened last night. He had a nightmare, and Tony came in to comfort him. The last thing he remembered was hearing Tony promise that everything would be okay. Did he fall asleep? He couldn’t remember after that, but he wondered if Tony fell asleep too. Although, he couldn’t help but feel bad for waking Tony up in the middle of the night and making him come in just to comfort him.

He moved his head a slight inch on Tony’s chest, which seemed to cause the billionaire to stir. “Tony?” he asked quietly.

Tony stirred even more and looked down only to find Peter looking up at him. “Hey, morning, kid,” he said with a small smile.

Peter quickly sat up so that he was looking at Tony. “I-I’m so sorry,” he said. “I-I didn’t…I mean…I didn’t mean to make you come in here last night. I must’ve dozed off. I’m so sorry.”

“Kid, kid, relax,” Tony said placing a hand on Peter’s shoulder to calm him down. “Take it from me, there are worse ways to wake up in the morning.”

Peter couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he sat back against the pillows next to Tony. He was relieved that Tony wasn’t mad or repulsed over the fact that he fell asleep in his bed and stayed with him for the rest of the night. “I guess,” he said. “Still, I’m…sorry, Tony, that you—”

“Nope, no sorry,” Tony quickly said. “If I didn’t want to come in here, I wouldn’t have. You needed me, and I wanted to be there for you.”

Peter looked at Tony giving him a small smile. “Still,” he remembered sobbing in Tony’s arms all over a bad dream. “I-I know it’s not really mature to cry over a stupid bad dream.”

“You remember what I said to you when we were up at the compound? How maturity has nothing to do with grief?”

The teenaged vigilante nodded.

“Same thing goes for nightmares,” Tony replied wrapping an arm around Peter. “Trust me, you’re talking to the guy, who still gets nightmares himself.”

The rookie superhero stared at the veteran next to him, and he realized that Tony was in fact right. His mentor never disclosed the full details, but there had been one time over the past 10 months…while Peter was staying over for the weekend while May was away…when Tony woke up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare. Peter didn’t want to overstep boundaries with the billionaire, but he did ask him about it. All Tony told him was that he sometimes had nightmares about the wormhole when Loki tried to conquer Earth…or the time he was captured in Afghanistan…or the Mandarin…and Peter didn’t want to pry when Tony stopped talking about it.

“Y-You…mean the ones about…” Peter began.

“Yep…those ones…” Tony replied. “The mind can be very tricky, kid, but the important thing to remember is that those nightmares are all in your head. And anytime you need me if you have another one, don’t feel like you can’t come to me.”

Peter couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Tony,” he said, “for coming in last night…and talking to me…”

“You’re welcome, kid,” Tony replied. “So, what do you say we get some breakfast and spend the day in the lab?”

Peter furrowed his eyebrows together as he thought about what Tony suggested. May’s wake was on Wednesday, which meant that was her funeral was on Thursday. That meant today was Friday. He was off from school, but what about Tony? The man worked during the week, right? Yes, Pepper ran the company, but didn’t Tony have things to catch up on…after spending the past few days with him? “D-Don’t you…have—I don’t know—work to do?” he asked. “I-I mean…you must’ve missed a lot because of me.”

“Kid,” Tony replied, “I own the company. Anything I need to do Pepper will help me take care of it. I don’t want you to worry about that. That’s the #1 rule around here: only Tony and Pepper worry about SI, okay?”

Peter chuckled. “Okay,” he said. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Good,” Tony said, “now, breakfast?” A part of him wanted to talk to Peter more about his nightmares, but he also didn’t want to push Peter anymore than necessary. Not only that, but he wanted Peter to not feel overwhelmed and to come to him freely.

* * *

“Boss, Ms. Potts would like me to inform you that she is on her way up for dinner,” FRIDAY said.

“Thanks, FRI,” Tony replied as he turned off the stove.

Within a few minutes, the doors to the elevator opened, and Pepper walked in. “Hey, sweetheart,” she said with a soft smile on her face.

“Hey, Pep,” Tony said with a smile of his own before Pepper kissed him on the lips. “Everything go well today?”

“As well as it could be,” Pepper replied as she sat down at the counter. “How did everything go with Peter today? I saw you two had a sleepover in his room when I left this morning.”

“Uhh…he had a nightmare last night…about the accident…”

“Oh no…”

“He…seems to be convinced that May dying was his fault.”

“What?” Pepper’s eyes widened. “Why would he think that?”

“His…spider senses went off when they were at the intersection, and some asshole behind them beeped at them when the light changed. So, Peter thinks he’s to blame for not saving his aunt in time.”

“Oh no…” Pepper said as she placed a hand over her mouth. “What did you tell him?”

“The obvious,” Tony replied, “that it wasn’t his fault and that it wasn’t his fault and that it was the other driver was drunk at the wheel.” He then sighed as he sat down running a hand through his hair. “I’m worried about him, Pep. I-I mean, what do I do? What do we do? I mean…I had nightmares after New York. I still do from time to time. Do we…do we get him some help?”

“Tony, sweetheart,” Pepper said gently placing her hands on his shoulder and back, “it was one nightmare about a traumatic event. Your heart is in the right place, but I think we need to see what happens and how it affects his mental health, okay? If it gets to a point where it’s concerning, then we can look into getting him help, okay?”

Tony let out a breath as he leaned back in his chair as he silently thanked whatever deity was listening that he had Pepper to keep him grounded. Of course, the logical explanation was to wait and see if the nightmares became a recurring thing. Why would he do that after just one nightmare? What would Peter think if his new guardian suddenly made him go to therapy? He would probably think that Tony didn’t want to deal with him, and that was far from the truth.

“You’re right,” he finally said aloud. “God, what’s wrong with me?”

Pepper shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with you,” she said gently. “You’re worried about Peter. You’re being…you know…a parent, and like you said, it’s a bit of a huge step from being his mentor. What you’re feeling is completely natural, and it’s only been about a week or so. You’re still new to it, and so am I. And this is new to Peter, too, but we’ll get through it together.”

“I know, I know,” Tony replied.

Pepper continued to rub his back when he put his face in his hands. “You know, I could look into some books,” she finally said.

He looked at her raising an eyebrow in confusion. “Books?”

“Books…you know…those how-to books on how to raise teenagers…help them deal with grief.”

The billionaire stared at the tabletop thinking about what Pepper just said. He didn’t need any kind of books when he was simply Peter’s mentor to figure out how to work with him. He initially went in blind, and then once May found out the truth about Peter being Spider-Man, he and the kid’s aunt worked together. May took care of the essentials of parenting while he helped out with Peter’s superhero life and gave him another outlet…an opportunity to live up to his potential…a chance to use his intelligence in ways he couldn’t do so in school…to give him another male figure who could guide him and understand him in ways no one else could. Now, however, he was charged with taking on the task full-time, and while he was grateful for Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey, he still felt as if he was going in blind.

He finally sighed. “M-Maybe it wouldn’t hurt…to—you know—have some reading material. Just…let’s not mention it to Peter. I…I don’t want to make him think that we see it as us not being able to handle him.”

“Okay, I can get FRIDAY to send me a list of suggestions,” Pepper replied, “but so far, I think we’re doing okay, especially you from what you told me about last night.”

“I…guess,” Tony said. It was true, he supposed. He went into Peter’s room when FRIDAY woke up, and at the time, he didn’t overthink it. He just did it, and Peter calmed down. He talked to the kid and comforted him…just as he had done quite a few times over the past few months. Granted, it was never because of a nightmare, but Peter sought out some comfort whenever a bad guy got away while on patrol and whenever he needed to vent after an argument with May. Now, he comforted him when his aunt died. Each time Peter felt better. Perhaps, he and Pepper could take this up as Peter’s new guardians.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Pepper finally said after a moment. “How about after dinner, we take Peter out for frozen yogurt or something? You know, we could get him out of the penthouse for a little bit.”

“Yeah…yeah, that’s a good idea,” Tony replied. That was what Peter needed. He needed to get out and about. He knew the kid loved working in the lab, but he might also love the idea of going out.

“Good,” Pepper said, “but before you call him here, there’s,” she held out a single envelope, “this came in the mail today. Maybe we could talk to Peter about it when we go out.”

* * *

Thankfully, Peter thought going out after dinner was a great idea, so after the trio finished eating and cleaning up after themselves, they hopped in Tony’s Audi and drove to Times Square to the Creamstone Cremery to get some ice cream. They parked the car in a nearby parking garage. Normally, Tony would’ve asked Happy to drive them, but they figured it would be best if it were just the three of them, especially with the news they had to tell Peter. As soon as they got what they wanted and Tony paid for the ice cream, Tony got them a table in the corner of the store, where they could talk without any interruptions.

“How’s your ice cream, buddy?” Tony asked.

“Really good!” Peter said excitedly as he continued to eat his Cookie Dough.

Pepper and Tony couldn’t help but smile at each other seeing their charge in a better mood.

“Tony told me you had a bit of a rough night last night,” Pepper said after a moment. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

“Uhh…” Peter said scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, “I’m okay. Just…a stupid nightmare, you know?” He wasn’t mad that Pepper knew about it. After all, Tony and Pepper were engaged. They needed to be on the same page for things, just like May and Ben. He just didn’t want Pepper to think he was a baby for having a bad dream and getting upset. “Uhh…I’m sorry if I…woke you up, Pepper.”

“Oh, no, sweetheart, no,” Pepper quickly said placing a hand over Peter’s, “you have nothing to be sorry for, okay? You can come to us whenever you have a nightmare no matter what.”

“She’s right, bud,” Tony said patting Peter on the shoulder. “You can always come to us no matter what.”

Peter offered a small smile. “Thanks, guys,” he said, “really.”

“You’re welcome,” Pepper replied with a smile of her own, “and that’s actually not the only reason I wanted us to go out after dinner.”

“What is it?” Peter asked as he and Tony looked at her.

“I just got a letter from our lawyer,” Pepper said as she took the envelope—the same envelope she showed Tony earlier—out of her purse and gave it to Tony.

Tony stared at Pepper as he slowly took the envelope from her hands while Peter watched the scene unfold in front of him. The three of them held their breaths as Tony opened the envelope and took out the letter unfolding it and reading it.

“Wow, that was fast,” Tony finally said.

“What is it?” Peter asked again eagerly. Was his lawyer telling him that the state wanted him in the system after all? Could the social worker even do that despite May’s will?

Tony gave a small smile as he looked at Peter showing him the letter. “We’ve…got a court date for the hearing,” he said.

Peter stared at Tony with widened brown eyes as he himself slowly took the letter and read it closely. He didn’t see Tony and Pepper holding their breaths waiting for his reaction, and his eyes finally rested on the aforementioned date. “It’s…on Wednesday…” Peter suddenly said aloud. “T-that’s…w-wow…” His aunt had just been buried only yesterday, and Tony implied that the hearing would occur soon. He just didn’t think it was going to be this soon.

“I know we just had the funeral yesterday, buddy,” Tony said quickly placing his hand on Peter’s, “and…if you want us to change it…if you feel like this is moving too fast, I can call the lawyer and get it rescheduled.”

“No, no, I-I want this, I do,” Peter said quickly. The last thing he wanted was to make Tony and/or Pepper feel bad. Yes, it was the day after May’s funeral, and they hadn’t even started going through her things yet, but this was what she wanted for him to be under Tony’s care…for Tony to be his guardian. Quite frankly, he wanted it, too.

“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Pepper asked Peter after a moment.

“Absolutely,” Peter replied. “This…this is what May wanted, and…it is what I want, too.” He knew without a doubt that Tony wanted this as well. The man said so, and Tony would never lie to him. His words…and the sincerity and genuineness behind them rang through his head as he gripped Tony’s hand.

All three of them widened their smiles at one another. For the first time in a few days, it finally felt like things were indeed falling into place.

* * *

The next Wednesday came in the blink of an eye, and while Peter lamented that it had been a week since May’s wake and funeral, he couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart. Yes, they were fulfilling what May stated in her will, but that didn’t mean that Peter was never going to miss her after today. He was always going to miss her, but…to live with his mentor, someone he respected and admired…trusted was something not a lot of kids could say…and he was grateful for. The fact that Tony and Pepper wanted this made it even more special. He and Tony had been a team. He knew that Tony cared about him just as he cared about him. Whether or not he saw Peter as a son…like Peter saw him as a father…that was a different story, but that was a conversation for another time.

“No other family blood relatives?” the judge—Judge Carmichael—a middle-aged man asked from his desk as he read Peter’s files unknowingly jolting the teen out of his thoughts.

“That is correct, Your Honor,” Larry said as he stood next to Tony, Peter, and Pepper as they sat in chairs across from the judge, “and Peter himself has verified that his aunt was his last living relative.”

“Okay,” the judge replied as he looked from the lawyer to Peter, “now, Mr. Parker?”

“Yes, Your Honor?” Peter said. He knew that this was going to happen. Tony and Pepper had told him that the judge would want to speak to him before signing off on the guardianship.

“I know that in many of these…situations…the child in question often tends to feel like nobody wants to hear what he or she thinks…or they find themselves in a difficult place. And I don’t want any child or teenager to feel that way, especially you given your circumstances.”

“I appreciate that, sir,” Peter said nodding, “thank you.”

The judge nodded. “So, before I do anything,” he began, “I want to ask you a question. How do you feel about Tony Stark becoming your legal guardian?”

There it was. He knew it was coming, and yet he still felt his heart pounding as he looked to Tony, who gave him a small smile and gripped his hand.

“It’s okay, bud,” Tony said. “Just be honest.”

Peter smiled and nodded before turning back to the judge. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him. Tony’s…the lawyer’s…Pepper’s…Happy’s…Rhodey’s…Vision’s… Nevertheless, he began to speak.

“I’ve known Tony for about a year now, Your Honor, and…I know he hasn’t always had the greatest of reputations on the news before he became Iron Man. But…the Tony that I’ve known is nowhere close to the one you all saw on TV all those years ago. The Tony that I know…the real Tony is kind, caring, supportive…a mentor…protective. He found me at my school and gave me an internship when he saw that I had potential. He took me under his wing and helped me…” Peter looked at Tony, “step up my game and become someone better than him. Although, I’m not sure that’s even possible, but ever since then, he’s been there for me every step of the way…just as any p-guardian would do. We’ve been through a lot together…good, bad, and ugly, and we’ve really become a team…a-a family. I know May wasn’t his biggest fan in the beginning, but I know she knew what she was doing when she named him as a guardian in her will. She wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t think Tony could do it, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think he could. I mean, he’s already doing it. He’s supported me through my grief…my aunt’s wake and funeral…everything. So…” he took a deep breath, “to answer your question, Your Honor, I couldn’t be happier that Tony is my guardian. If anything, it’s my aunt’s last gift to me…to give me to someone who she knew would always be there for me…who would be my family…no matter what.”

There was silence…a stunned silence as everyone stared at Peter in complete awe. Tony felt tears in his eyes as he looked to Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, and Vision.

The judge smiled and nodded. “That was very well said, Mr. Parker,” he said, “and it has me convinced. Well,” he took a pen, “if nobody has anything to else to say, by the power invested in me by the state of New York, I hereby grant Anthony Stark permanent custody of Peter Parker.” He signed the paper…making it official.

Both Peter and Tony sighed in relief as they quickly hugged Pepper before turning back to the judge as everyone stood.

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Larry said shaking hands with the judge.

“Thank you very much!” Tony added as he took his turn.

“Thank you!” Peter said as he followed suit.

“Best of luck to you both,” the judge replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaannnndd that’s all for this chapter, boys and girls! So, Tony is now officially Peter’s guardian! He now has permanent custody of our Underoos! Now, remember: this isn’t necessarily adoption! This is simply that Tony will be allowed to have Peter under his care permanently. Adoption will be addressed later on, so keep an eye out! Anyway, CHAPTER 15 is next! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Don’t forget to read and review! Thanks, guys! See you in the next chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, everyone! Welcome back to my latest chapter of Raise Me Up! Sorry this took a little long. I’m writing other fanfics including my Iron Dad and Spider Son series, so I’m still trying to figure out a good balance. Plus I’ve been busy with work, but no worries, the story will go on! So, we are at CHAPTER 15, and this takes place right after the hearing. Our little Iron Fam wants to celebrate Tony’s new guardianship! I really hope you all enjoy it! Also, stay tuned for my ending notes, as I made some edits before I updated this fic!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Peter, that was so beautifully said,” Pepper said as she hugged him tightly laughing. “You did amazing!”

“Thanks, Pepper,” Peter said with a huge smile of his own. He, Tony, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, and Vision silently agreed in the courthouse to save their celebration for when they got to the parking lot. “I was practically shaking the whole time.”

“Kid, I tell you, I think you had Mr. Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist tearing up,” Rhodey said as he patted Tony on the shoulder. “You really have a way with words.”

“Well, I…” Peter turned to Tony, “I meant every word of it. You, Tony—a-all of you,” the teen looked at the five adults, “mean a lot to me…and May, too. I-I know I was mostly talking about Tony in there, but…all you guys became really important to May…and me. You…you became…part of the family,” he turned back to Tony, “especially you and Pepper.”

Tears formed in the billionaire’s eyes again. To hear Peter say these words about him and their little ragtag group…made his heart swell. He knew that Peter was right. In a way, as he and Peter grew closer…as he came to care more and more about him, they became a sort of family. While Tony and Peter spent most of their time together over the past 10 months, their group got together from time to time, and it always felt good when it did. He quickly pulled Peter into a tight hug as the tears streamed down his face. “And we’re going to keep being a family, kid,” he said. “This was May’s last gift to us, and we’ll cherish that forever, I promise.”

Peter nodded as tears streamed down his face as well as hugging Tony just a little tighter, and it wasn’t long until Pepper…then Rhodey, then Happy, and then Vision all gathered in.

* * *

_“I can’t thank you enough for doing this,” May said as she bought over two mugs filled with steaming coffee._

_“Oh, please, it’s not everyday your intern’s aunt asks a genius billionaire to become his back-up guardian,” Tony said as he took the mug that May handed to him before she sat down next to him._

_May chuckled and rolled her eyes._

_“Seriously, I’m honored you think I’m capable, May,” Tony said._

_“Well, it’s…it’s more than that, Tony,” May said. “I mean like…I said at the MedBay, you’ve done so much for Peter. Seeing how you two are together…I…and forgive me if I’m out of line here, but…it sort of reminds me of how Ben was with Peter. You understand him. You’re this male figure in his life that he’s been missing since Ben died.”_

_“Well, I-I hope you know that I would never try to replace your hus—”_

_“No, no, I know, I know, and Peter does too. I’m glad he has you now. I mean I’ve raised him with Ben, but there are some things that I know you’re a little better at than I am. You share his love for being a superhero, you teach him when to fight back or not, and you share his love for science and physics and inventing. Tony, he was diving in dumpsters before you showed up. I…can’t be more honored to have you as a co-parent.”_

_“Wow…so I’m officially a co-parent?”_

_“Let’s be real, Stark. You have been for a while.”_

_“I guess I have been. I…don’t what happened. It just…I don’t know…but after the Vulture incident…I didn’t hear from him for a while. And…I couldn’t help but miss hearing his voicemails…talking to him. There was a part of me that worried that he didn’t want anything to do with me, but thanks to Pepper, I texted him, and he immediately texted back. It all just flowed from there. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we clicked when we first met, but I was dealing with the crap with the Rogues and the Accords…and all that, and then during the Vulture incident, he was just not listening and being stupid. But after that…after that text, everything just...clicked.”_

_“You’ve really become a part of his life…our lives, Tony. Not just you, but Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and Vision.” She sighed. “I guess what they say is true.”_

_“What?”_

_“You can’t pick your family.”_

* * *

“Tony?”

Tony jumped and quickly wiped his eyes before turning back to Peter. “Sorry, bud, I just—uhh…” he said turning to the teen who sat between him and Pepper in the car.

“Are you okay?” Peter asked with concern in his voice.

“Oh yeah, yeah,” he replied wrapping an arm around Peter pulling him close to his side, “just thinking about what you said before, and I guess it got me a little teary-eyed, I guess.”

“Who knew I could make Tony Stark tear up?” Peter said with a smirk.

The billionaire laughed. “Yeah, who knew, kid,” he said. “You discovered the secret.” He pulled Peter even closer into a one-arm hug burying his nose in Peter’s brown hair as he looked at Pepper, who wore an identical smile. He couldn’t believe that the kid sitting between them…was now officially…his. He was now officially Peter Parker’s legal guardian. Sure, the social worker wanted to check-in for a few months, and it wasn’t an adoption—there was no way he and Peter were ready for that route. _“One step at a time, Stark,”_ he thought to himself. However, that didn’t stop the man from reveling in the pure joy he felt right now, especially after what Peter said in the judge’s office. Peter and May were right. Over the past 10 months, they became a family—a strange family, but a family, and he was never going to let that be taken away from Peter…ever.

“You know, I have an idea,” Pepper said as she watched the two of them have a moment. “We should celebrate tonight. How about we all go to Coney Island tonight?”

“Seriously, Pepper?” Peter asked excitedly turning to look at her.

“Seriously,” she replied laughing.

“I think that’s a great idea, Pep,” Tony said. Some good ol’ family fun! We should all go! Us, Rhodey, Hap, and Vision!”

“I’ll call Rhodey right now, boss,” Happy said from the front seat.

* * *

After calling Rhodey and going back to the tower for lunch to celebrate the hearing, Pepper had a few meetings to cover while Tony and Peter spent some time in the lab. The plan was to have Rhodey, Happy, and Vision stay over for lunch and dinner before heading over to Coney Island, which Peter was completely on board for. As soon as the five adults and the kid enjoyed dinner and cleaned up, they all hopped in two cars with Tony, Pepper, Peter, and Happy in one car while Rhodey and Vision took the former’s car. As excited as he was to celebrate being officially placed under the care of his new guardian…mentor…father-figure…maybe—he wasn’t really sure, he also couldn’t help but feel melancholy. The last time he went to Coney Island…was before his uncle was taken from him. He, May, and Ben went to the amusement park during the summer before he started Midtown.

Peter believed there were millions of reasons that prevented them from going back to Coney Island after that. Part of it was the overwhelming grief…He and May never officially said that was the main reason, but…he knew that couldn’t bring himself to go back after that night. Not only that, but…they had busy lives. May was busy with work, and he had school, clubs, Spider-Man, and his time with Tony. That wasn’t to say that they didn’t make time for one another. The night…he lost May…they had one of their famous movie nights. Somehow, it felt like a lifetime ago. He remembered bits and pieces about that night even though…it was just almost two weeks ago. He remembered a few scenes from the movie, but he remembered the conversation they had in the car…their last conversation before she was taken from him…forever. He sighed putting his head back on the headrest wondering if they spent enough time together…if he was a good nephew to her…if she knew how much he loved her.

Peter took a deep breath and turned his sights to out the car window as the Audi sped on the parkway. He tried to push that down into the depths of his mind, but it was getting to be more difficult.

“Peter?” a voice suddenly said making him jump and turn to his left. It was Pepper sitting next to him. “Are you okay?”

“Oh…uh, yeah,” he replied. “I’m fine.”

“You sure, kid?” Tony asked from where he sat in the front passenger seat with Happy at the wheel.

“Yeah, totally,” Peter said with a little more confidence in his voice. “Just…lost in thought.” He watched as Tony, Pepper, and Happy looked at each other not saying anything, but he could tell they had a hard time believing him.

“Okay, buddy,” Tony finally said after a moment, “but if you need to talk about something or if you want to head home, just say the word.”

Peter couldn’t bring himself to protest when Tony had been so willing to be there for him and when the day was such a special day. Tony was his guardian now, and he was doing his best along with Pepper. Besides, it had been a day of celebrating. Why should he ruin it by being sad about May?

* * *

“Tony, you don’t need to—” Peter tried to say.

“Ah-ah, the adult is talking,” Tony quickly said as he took out of his wallet. “This is a celebration, and we’re going all out tonight. So I say if you want to play a game, then that’s what we’re going to do.”

“We?” Peter and Pepper asked in unison.

“Yeah,” Tony replied laying the cash down on the counter for the game moderator, who was trying not to freak out over Tony Stark. “What? You didn’t think I was going to stand off the side like some adult weirdo, did you? I used to love darts as a kid. What do you say, kid? Winner gets to pick out the next game or a ride?” The game moderator placed a large bucket in front of Tony and Peter.

Peter raised an eyebrow at his new guardian smirking at him. “I’d say you’re on, old man,” he said.

“Ohhhhhh…” Rhodey and Happy said in unison.

“I believe young Peter is accepting the challenge, Tony,” Vision added with a smile of his own.

“Hell yeah, he is,” Tony said with a smirk of his own, “and he’s going down. I got my eye on the balloon game…or maybe the Tilt-a-Whirl.”

“Hmm…I’m thinking the Ferris Wheel,” Peter said as he reached for the darts.

“Well, bring it on, buddy,” Tony retorted.

* * *

After two rounds each won by Tony and Peter, they finally agreed on one last round of darts, so after about 5-10 minutes, they finally came down to the final dart for each of them. Tony just threw his, and it landed dangerously close to the bulls-eye.

“Nice shot, Tony,” Peter said with a genuine smile.

Tony provided his own smile in return and patted Peter on the shoulder. Throughout their little “competition,” both the billionaire and the teenager knew it was all in good fun and relished in their celebration. “Thanks, buddy,” he finally said. “You’re up.” He stepped aside to allow Peter a turn.

Rhodey, Happy, Vision, and Pepper all cheered Peter on as he took his turn, and then Peter held up the dart, brought it back over his shoulder, and then threw it. Within seconds, it landed on the bulls-eye. Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and Vision all cheered as Peter thrust his hands into the air in victory, and Tony immediately gave Peter a high-five.

* * *

Of course, Peter got to pick the next ride…the Ferris Wheel, so that was where they headed after the game. It didn’t take much convincing to get Happy, Rhodey, and Vision to join in on the fun. Peter, Tony, and Pepper got in one car on the Ferris Wheel while Rhodey, Happy, and Vision got in another right behind them. As the ride started, Peter found them slowly ascending above the amusement park. He looked out seeing the lights that sprinkled across the land and water below and the stars that were visible in the sky. He smiled remembering May and Ben coming on this particular ride with him. It was always the one ride the three of them went on together as it became an unspoken tradition, and he remembered marveling at how small everything looked when they were at the top…and pointing things out to his aunt and uncle, especially when he was young. To think that that was never going to happen again…the grief washed over him once again.

“Penny for your thoughts, kid?” Tony suddenly said as he sat next to the teenager.

“Hmm?” Peter said looking up at Tony. “Oh, nothing, sorry, I was just lost in thought.”

“Kid…you were quiet in the car,” Tony replied, “and you got quiet now. What’s going on?”

The teen shrugged. “It’s a little stupid,” he said.

“Peter,” Pepper said leaning forward from where she sat across from her fiancé and his mentee…their kid, “if it’s something that bothers you, I promise it’s not stupid. You can tell us.”

What Pepper said seemed to work as Peter sighed in defeat as he turned around so that he was facing both Tony and Pepper. “It’s just…May and Ben used to bring me here when I was little,” he finally said. He watched as Tony and Pepper looked at each other having another silent conversation almost as if they had figured that that was the case. Nevertheless, Peter continued, “It had been a long time since we had been here. I remembered that we got busy after Ben died and we never really came back—May and I—and…there was a part of me that wonders if…we spent enough time together when she was…you know…if I was a good nephew…you know?”

Tony and Pepper looked at each other again and then back at Peter.

“Sweetheart, why would you think that?” Pepper asked.

“Well, it’s just…I mean…not long after Ben died, I really started taking on the whole Spider-Man thing, and I guess I wonder if we spent enough time or if she really knew how much I love her.”

“Aw, buddy,” Tony said as he wrapped an arm around the teen pulling him close to his side. He had forgotten about that…that Peter started taking on the superhero mantle around the time his uncle Ben died. “Of course, she knew all that. She knew Spider-Man was important to you, too.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t always know,” Peter replied. “I kept my powers a secret from her for a while. The reason she found out was because I put my suit on in the apartment.”

“So? I kept Iron Man a secret from Pepper and Rhodey for…about a day or two before they found out,” Tony replied. “Kid, trust me when I tell you this, she knew how much you love her. You’re her entire world, and she was so proud of you. She’s told me herself.”

“Really?” Peter asked as tears formed in his eyes.

“Yes, really,” Tony said squeezing Peter just a little tighter. “Don’t ever doubt yourself, kid. You and May were there for each other through thick and thin. No matter what, you still had great times together before and after Ben died.”

“And just because you added another priority to your life doesn’t mean you love May any less,” Pepper added.

“Oh, no, no, of course, I love her,” Peter quickly said, “and we did have a lot of good times together.”

“Exactly, and you take that with you for the rest of your life,” Pepper said taking his hand into hers.

Peter smiled at his guardian and his fiancée feeling the weight lifting off his shoulders. “Thanks, guys,” Peter said. “I’m sorry for ruining tonight. We’re supposed to be celebrating, and I’m all sad and just—”

“Kid, kid, it’s okay,” Tony quickly interjected. “We get it. Yes, we’re celebrating the hearing and all that, but you’re allowed to feel sad, buddy. May was important to you. We miss her, too. We didn’t know her as well as you did, but we still miss her. We’ll always miss her. The only thing we ask is that you tell us when you feel upset so we can help you, or you find a way to let it out in a healthy way, okay?”

Peter smiled and nodded before hugging Tony tightly. “Okay, I can do that,” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd that’s all for now, boys and girls! I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter! CHAPTER 16 won’t be too far behind! As I mentioned above, I made some quick edits to this chapter: 
> 
> 1\. Chapter 3: Doctors told Peter that May died during surgery, but social worker told Tony that she was killed instantly. I changed it to “Mrs. Parker passed away during surgery,” as someone pointed out the inconsistency. Hopefully this clears things up!   
> 2\. Chapter 5: So, for this one, I’m going by the actual calendar year in 2017. So, May passed away on a Friday night in this, and the date was actually June 16, 2017 instead of June 18. So, May’s official date of death in this fic is June 16, 2017. 
> 
> Also, the #2 change got me thinking that maybe I could post a timeline somewhere for you guys to use as a guide. I had started using it because I was starting to notice some inconsistencies later in the story. I don’t know; let me know if you guys want a timeline! Anyway, don’t forget to read and review! Thanks, guys!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to another chapter of Raise Me Up! We are at CHAPTER 16, and this is the next day after the IronFam went to Coney Island. Peter, Tony, and Pepper have to make a big decision, and we will see what that decision is! I really hope you continue to enjoy this story!
> 
> ***Also, bit of a warning: slight panic attack/sensory overload. It’s nothing graphic or anything like that, but I would rather give you all the heads up just to be safe!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

_“Hey, buddy, Pepper and I are downstairs in a meeting. We’ll be back soon! Maybe we can get some time in at the lab and work on our project!”_

Peter smiled as he read Tony’s text as soon as he woke up the next morning. After a fun night at Coney Island, Rhodey and Vision made the long drive back to the compound while Happy took him, Tony, and Pepper back to the tower, where they settled in for the night. It was a relief not having to get up for school, and he looked at the time on his phone only to see that it was 10AM. Perhaps, it was as good time as any to get up and to get the day started. Tony had sent him the text about an hour ago, which meant that he probably had another hour or so until Tony and Pepper came back up. So, he quickly got up, showered, got dressed, and sat down at the counter to eat some cereal. As he was eating breakfast, his phone vibrated, and sure enough, it was a text from Ned.

_“Hey, dude, you might want to turn on Channel 2. There’s something you need to see.”_

Peter furrowed his eyebrows together at the text. It sounded like there was something serious, but what could it be? It couldn’t have been anything involving Tony or Pepper…no, he would’ve known about it, wouldn’t he?

_“What? Why? Something happen?”_

_“Just turn on Channel 2…and call me ASAP!”_

_“Okay, hang on a sec!”_

“Hey, FRIDAY,” Peter called out to the A.I., “can you turn on Channel 2 news, please?”

“Of course, Peter,” FRIDAY replied. “I’ll turn on the living room T.V.”

Peter immediately turned around and ran to the living room as the television turned on allowing him to see the reporter, a female reporter with a smile on her face.

 _“And in a breaking news story over night, folks,”_ the reporter began _, “we’ve received some interesting photos of billionaire Tony Stark, famously known as Iron Man, and his intern.”_

Peter felt his blood run cold as his heart began to pound as he gripped the back of the couch. Two photos appeared on the screen, and while blurry, it was easy to see that one was Tony and Peter hugging outside the courthouse…after the hearing and the other was last night while they were waiting on line at the Ferris Wheel.

“What the f—” Peter began to say.

_“As you can see here in these photos, both Stark and his intern were seen with Pepper Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries and Stark’s fiancée, Col. Rhodes—War Machine, Vision, and Happy Hogan. One of them was taken in front of the courthouse, and the other appears to be in front of the Ferris Wheel in Coney Island.”_

“Shit…” Peter muttered to himself. He couldn’t believe this was happening…just days after May’s funeral. Tony, May, and Pepper always made sure to keep Peter out of sights of the media as much as possible, and if Peter had to be around the media, it was either only as Spider-Man or simply Tony’s intern, who came with him to galas or interviews here and there, but now…Tony was his guardian…his family. This was probably a sign of what was to come; he was going to be in the media as much as Tony…if not more so.

_“So…the question on everyone’s minds right now is what is going on? Who is this kid really? Is he really just an intern? Or…could it be possible that Tony Stark’s playboy past has caught up with him? Neither Stark, his fiancée Pepper Potts, nor the intern have commented as of yet…”_

That was the final straw. This news reporter had the audacity to accuse Tony of having an illegitimate child…to accuse him of being that illegitimate child. His breath quickened as the TV volume…the lights in the living room…everything around him amplified to 11. His legs felt like jelly as he fell to his hands and knees with his migraine increasing tenfold. He covered his ears, and all he could think about was how there was no way Tony would want to keep being his guardian now. They were accusing the billionaire of having some secret love child, and his reputation was going to be ruined because of him. Why would he want to keep the very reason his reputation was ruined around? Or what if the social worker would use this as an excuse to put him in the system and to take him away from Tony? Tony was just named as his guardian, and it was about to go flying out the window because of his own stupidity. Why didn’t he see or hear anything? How could he miss that?

“Peter!”

Peter whimpered at the noise making the pounding in his head even worse. He wished that it would stop.

“FRIDAY, lights at 20%,” the male voice said as it got closer…quieter. “Hey, buddy, it’s me. It’s Tony. Pep and I are here. Is it okay if I turn you over?”

Tony…Tony was here, and so was Pepper. That helped to bring his heartbeat down somewhat, and he nodded.

Tony wasted no time in gently guiding Peter so that he was on his back looking up at him.

“Is my voice helping?” Tony asked quietly.

Peter nodded as he struggled to breathe, and Tony gently took his hand away from his ear and brought to his chest.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Tony said as he ran his other hand through his hair. “We’re working on that breathing, okay? Do it with me. In…” he took a deep breath, “out…” he exhaled. “With me.”

It took two or three tries for Peter to finally regain control of his senses and slow down his breathing, and as soon as he was back to normal, Tony gently helped him to sit up and gathered him into his arms.

“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Peter quickly said.

“Shh…it’s okay, kiddo,” Tony said gently rocking Peter back and forth. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. You’re okay. I got you. I’m right here, okay?”

It wasn’t too long before Pepper knelt down next to them with a glass of water. “Here, sweetie,” she said to Peter. “Drink this.”

Peter silently thanked her before taking a sip of water while still in Tony’s warm embrace.

“What happened, kid?” Tony asked keeping his arms locked around Peter afraid to let go. “FRIDAY said your senses overloaded.”

Peter leaned into Tony’s chest even more smelling his cologne feeling his body relax even more as it all flooded back to him. “N-Ned texted me,” he said. “He said…he said to turn on the news, and…and I did. They…they were broadcasting pictures of us from yesterday…” he could hear both Tony and Pepper sigh. They must’ve found out too, “and…and they were wondering if I was a love-child or something.” The realization…the cold realization that he might’ve put a stain on Tony Stark’s reputation made him sit up slightly to look at Tony and Pepper. “I…I’m so sorry, Tony…I…I should’ve…I…didn’t think…I ruined your reputation. Y-You’re ruined now because of me. I—“

“Whoa, whoa, slow down, young buck,” Tony said quickly pulling away so that he was looking right at Peter. “Where is this coming from? Why are you apologizing for this?”

“Because…they saw you with me,” Peter said. “Someone took a picture of us because they saw me. I should’ve been more careful, and now they’re using me to ruin you. It’s all my fault, Tony.”

“Peter, sweetheart, calm down,” Pepper quickly said placing a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “This isn’t your fault, nowhere close to being your fault.”

“And you did not ruin me,” Tony quickly added. He’d be damned if the teen in his arms ever thought that he ruined him. The kid had done so much more than that. “I promise, you could never ruin me.”

_“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, kid,” he added mentally._

“If there’s anyone who’s to blame, it’s Pepper and me, kid,” Tony finally said after a moment.

“What?” Peter said furrowing his eyebrows together. “Why?”

“We should’ve kept an eye out,” Tony replied. “If we had, we could’ve stopped whoever took those pictures.”

“And…we should’ve talked to you more about this,” Pepper added. “We had been so busy with helping you, the funeral, and the hearing that we…didn’t think about this, so…we’re very sorry this happened, sweetheart.”

“No, no, don’t apologize, really,” Peter said quickly. He immediately felt horrible for making Tony and Pepper feel obligated to protect him from something that he knew was a part of their daily lives. He was a teenager, and he should’ve known that this could happen, right? “I-I shouldn’t have…reacted like that.”

“Hey, hey, no, it’s okay…totally okay, kid,” Tony said gently. “Sometimes, the littlest things can cause an attack. Look at me, I used to get anxiety attacks whenever someone said the word, ‘wormhole’ or ‘space’ to me.”

Peter nodded. Tony had mentioned briefly at one point that he used to get anxiety attacks after the alien attack in New York…the very same attack that sent Toomes down his path to villainy. “I guess,” he said quietly. He sighed realizing that there was something else that they needed to talk about. “So…what happens now? I mean, now that the pictures are out…”

Tony and Pepper looked at each other and then back at Peter before helping him to stand up and guiding him to the couch.

“Umm…well…we talked it over with PR and Mrs. Walker,” Tony began.

“She’s not going to take me away from you over this, is she?” Peter subconsciously grabbed the cuff of Tony’s suit. “Tony, you can’t let her—”

“No, no, no, no one’s taking you anywhere, buddy,” Tony quickly said. “She was on the phone with us when we spoke to PR, and she said that this kind of thing tends to happen with celebrities who…foster…well—y-you know what I mean. Anyway, she’ll help us do what we got to do, and we agreed that there are a few options: one is we hold a press conference and tell them the whole truth…without getting into the Spider-Man ordeal to nip this in the bud and ask that the media respect your privacy.”

Peter nodded. He wasn’t wild about it, but he did agree with the idea of stopping the speculation before it got worse. He also felt himself relax upon hearing that the social worker wouldn’t hold this leak against Tony and take him away. She was willing to work with them. “What are the other options?” he asked.

“The other option is we don’t do or say anything and just wait for this to blow over,” Tony said. “I’m all for it, but…”

“But…?” Peter urged.

“But…it would just urge the paparazzi to dig up more dirt or make-up rumors about you or Tony or…even May,” Pepper added.

“And that’s not why I want to do it,” Tony quickly added. “I don’t want to put you under this pressure so soon after May’s funeral, and I didn’t want to decide anything until we talked to you about it. What’s one of the few things I had told you since the night of the accident?”

Peter gave a small smile. “I call the shots?” he answered.

“That’s right,” Tony said. “So whatever you think is…maybe not better…but the lesser of the two evils, we’ll do it.”

The teen took a deep breath as he considered the two options. At first when he was just Tony’s intern, it was far easier to stay out of the public eye and the media. However, now, Tony was legally in charge of him and was responsible for him, and that threw a completely different element in their current situation. A part of him even wondered if May considered it when she named Tony as his back-up guardian. Of course, that was probably the last thing on her mind. He imagined that if he were a parent, then maybe that would be the last thing on his mind. Then again, May had to have known that Tony could take care of it, but either way, he was going to be seen around Tony and Pepper more. The photos from yesterday were solid proof of that, but he knew without a doubt that Tony and Pepper would do whatever it took to keep him safe regardless of what he wanted to do.

If he chose the second option, then he wouldn’t have to worry about a press conference and exposing himself on TV everywhere, and he wouldn’t have to worry about his peers treating him differently. He wouldn’t have to worry about the paparazzi following him. However, Pepper had a point as to the negative side to that option. If they kept quiet about this, that would imply that they were trying to cover something up, which could tempt the media to dig up more dirt on Tony, Pepper, or even May. The idea of making his new guardian, the CEO of Stark Industries, and his aunt look bad just so he could stay out from under the media’s radar made him feel slightly guilty. Not only that, but the media would just keep following them…taking pictures of them when they were out and about. It was bad enough that there two pictures of them from the same day, but it would never stop. If he chose the first option, he would be exposing himself to the media, but he knew that Tony and Pepper would do everything in their power to protect him and his privacy. However, it would prevent things from getting worse.

He took a deep breath and looked at Tony and Pepper. “I…I think we should go with the first option,” he finally said, “the press conference.”

Tony and Pepper looked at each other and then back at Peter.

“Are you…are you sure?” Tony asked.

Peter nodded. “I mean…not really, to be honest,” he said, “but you’re right. If we don’t say anything, it will just make people more curious and want to dig up dirt, and the last thing I want is for the media to put you guys or May in a bad light.”

 _“What about you, bud?”_ Tony thought to himself smiling. His heart swelled with pride seeing Peter wanting to do this simply to protect his family.

“Okay, but let’s not forget that you need to be protected, too, sweetheart,” Pepper said with a soft smile as she took Peter’s hand into hers. “That’s the number one reason we’re doing this. Tony and I are adults. We can handle whatever they throw at us, but _you_ …are our first priority no matter what.”

“I know,” Peter said, “and I appreciate that. But…I know you’ll protect me. I don’t have to question that. You’ve been doing that for more than a year. I know you’ll continue to do that, but…I have to at least protect May…and you guys. And…and you guys are a part of my family. That’s my number one priority. Plus…I’m going to have to accept it. You’ve been dealing with the media long before we even met. It’s part of my life too now.”

“And we will do whatever we need to do to help you keep your privacy, kid,” Tony said rubbing Peter’s shoulder. “We can make this as quick and painless as possible.”

“That’s right,” Pepper added with a proud smile at Tony. “Just so long as you don’t pull any surprises like a _certain someone_ did with Iron Man,”

Peter couldn’t help but snicker as Tony looked at Pepper with an incredulous look on his face.

“…we can make the press conference in the morning…no longer than 20 minutes. Tony and I can answer some questions, and if you want to, you can answer some questions, too, okay?”

“And if you change your mind at all or want to duck out of the press conference at all, just say the word, and we’ll make it happen, okay?”

Peter smiled at Tony and Pepper. As much as he wasn’t wild about doing the press conference, he felt better knowing that Tony and Pepper were giving him the chance to choose. As appealing as it was to not say anything, taking control of the situation and nipping the problem in the bud was the more logical approach. May had always told him that, and he planned to carry that with him for the rest of his life. “Okay, thanks, guys,” he finally said.

“You’re welcome, bud,” Tony said with a small smile.

“I’ll call PR and schedule the press conference for next week, sound good?” Pepper asked.

“Why next week?” Peter asked curiously.

“We want to make sure we get the story straight,” Tony replied, “and given what you do on the side, Mr. Webslinger, we want to make extra sure there’s nothing that can connect you to that.”

“Okay, I guess that’s fair,” Peter said. Normally, he would’ve been adamant about keeping Spider-Man out of something like this. He was thinking about revealing himself once he was old enough and could handle it, but that was a long ways off. However, he also realized that throughout this whole ordeal with May…he hadn’t thought about Spider-Man once. He and Tony talked about some upgrades for his suit and the nanotechnology project for both Iron Man and Spider-Man, but that was it.

Tony nodded silently eying the teen. “Okay, now that that’s settled, why don’t we head down to the lab for a bit and maybe take a drive—get out of the tower for a bit?”

“Sure,” Peter nodded, “uhh…you mind if I call Ned real quick? He’s going to want to make sure I’m okay.”

“No problem at all,” Tony said. “I’ll go get changed and wait for you.”

Peter smiled at Tony and Pepper before grabbing his phone and walking off to his room.

“He…took that a lot better than I thought he would,” Tony said with a small smile on his face. “The kid never ceases to amaze me.”

* * *

“A press conference?” Ned asked incredulously over the phone.

“Yep,” Peter breathed. He took a deep shaky breath as he sat on his bed. “It was either that or not saying anything, but Pepper said that by not saying anything it would just give the media more ammunition to dig up dirt on me, or Tony and Pepper, or even May…or you guys.”

Upon hearing Peter’s reasoning for the press conference, he realized that his best friend had a valid point. If Peter and Tony had decided to go through the press conference, then the media would have the full story and not have the temptation to dig up dirt and start rumors about Peter or May or even Tony Stark. “That’s true,” Ned said. “You know, normally, I’d happy that my best friend would be famous, but…now, I’m just sorry that it happened the way it did.”

“Eh, it’s okay,” Peter said. “I mean, like it said, I’m not wild about it, but like Tony said, the lesser of the two evils.”

“Plus, he’s dealt with these losers his entire life,” Ned said. “He and Ms. Potts know how to take care of this.” As he said this, he clicked on the picture that showed his best friend and the billionaire himself. “Oh, wait, how is this going to affect…you know…Spider-Man? Are you…are you going to tell everyone like Mr. Stark?”

“No, no, absolutely not,” Peter said quickly. He quickly pushed down the knot in his stomach about his alter ego again feeling the guilt over having not thought of it since May died. It was only a few weeks, but it felt like a lifetime ago. “I could never do that…at least not until I could actually handle it. No, Tony and Pepper are going to use our cover story so I can avoid that.”

“Oh, good,” Ned said as he sighed in relief. “As much as I would love to see that, you’ve got a lot on your plate right now.”

Peter smiled as he was once again reminded why Ned was his best friend in the world. As much as Ned loved that Peter was a superhero, he always tried to look out for him and cared about his well-being. There were a few times when Peter went to Ned’s apartment, and his best friend wasted no time in calling Tony for help. “Thanks, man,” he finally said. “Umm…you know, I actually haven’t—”

There was suddenly a beep on his phone, and the teen took his phone away from his ear only to see that it was MJ calling him. “Oh, it’s MJ,” he said. “You mind if I let her into the call?”

“Yeah, sure,” Ned said. “She must’ve seen my text. I told her what happened.”

Peter pressed the button allowing his calls with MJ and Ned to merge. “Hey, MJ,” he said as soon as she was connected.

“Hey, losers,” she said. “I saw the news.” She paused. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah…yeah…” Peter said with a smile on his face. “I’m okay. I was a little freaked out at first, but Tony and Pepper helped me. I was…I was just telling Ned that we’re doing a press conference to address it.”

“Really?” MJ asked. “Y-You think that’s a good idea? I mean…you’ll really be putting yourself out there.”

Peter couldn’t help but smile at how concerned MJ sounded for him. “I’m not exactly wild about it,” he said, “but Tony, Pepper, and I agreed that it’s the lesser of the two evils. Not saying anything will just tempt these guys to try to start rumors. They’re already wondering if I’m Tony’s secret kid or something, and he shouldn’t have something like that following him when it’s not true. They could even go after Pepper or May, and these guys are something Tony deals with on a daily basis. So, in a way, it’s a part of my life now.”

“Well, I’m not thrilled about it,” MJ said after a moment of silence, “but I get it. And…just so you know…Ned and I won’t treat you any differently, Peter.”

“She’s right, man,” Ned said. “We’re with you all the way, no matter what.”

Peter couldn’t help but widen his smile hearing his two best friends willing to support him in what had been the biggest change of his life. He was especially elated that MJ was willing to support him. In the time he and Ned had known MJ, she clearly wasn’t that huge of a fan of Tony, but she knew how close he and Peter were and still supported him. “Thanks, guys,” he said. “Listen, I hate to cut this short, but Tony and I are going to head down to the lab for a bit.”

“Trading us in for the billionaire, huh, Parker?” MJ said with a smile on her face.

Peter chuckled and rolled his eyes. “No, of course not,” he said.

“I know, I’m just messing with you,” MJ said chuckling. “You go have fun, okay?”

“But don’t think this means we’re not getting together over the summer, dude,” Ned added quickly.

“Absolutely,” Peter added excitedly. He found himself making another mental note to ask Tony about getting together with friends. It wasn’t that he thought his guardian would forbid him from seeing Ned and MJ. He wasn’t like that. In fact, there were a few times Tony was at his and May’s apartment with Ned and even MJ, and he never once had a problem with it. He even had a good laugh later on after he first met Ned. He just wasn’t sure if he would be allowed to have friends over at the Tower. “I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“See ya, loser,” MJ said.

“Bye, dude,” Ned added.

“Bye, guys,” Peter said with a smile before hanging up. With that, he put his phone back in his pocket and went to meet Tony in the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnd that’s all for this chapter, boys and girls! I hope you all really enjoyed this chapter! I was originally going to not include Peter having a panic attack, but I figured with everything going on, he would be pretty sensitive, especially when something like this happens. Although, if you guys have a problem with it, I can always edit it out or change it. Just let me know! Just know that…this was my first time writing something like that, and I tried to make it as realistic as possible. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it! CHAPTER 17 will be coming soon! Anyway, don’t forget to read and review! Thanks, guys!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, readers! Welcome back to the next chapter…CHAPTER 17 of Raise Me Up! So…this doesn’t mean the story is over. Trust me, it’s far from over, but I write my stories in a notebook first because it’s easier to carry around before I type the chapter on the computer, so I’m currently finishing writing Chapter 18 and at the tail end of this notebook I have, which I feel is an accomplishment, so YAY ME!! Anyway, welcome back to CHAPTER 17, so….Peter talks to Tony and Pepper about something…and he makes some…pretty big decisions. What those decisions are...you’ll have to read to find out…
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Peter and Tony enjoyed their lab time together until Pepper came down to pull them away from the nanotechnology project to come eat lunch, while she was on a break. The three of them sat down to eat at the counter in the kitchen, and Pepper and Tony could easily see that something was on his mind. To be honest, Tony noticed that Peter looked like something was bothering him during their lab time, but he was clearly trying to hide it.

With one look at Pepper, the billionaire decided to try his luck. “Oh, so, Pete, how did your call with Ned and MJ go?” Tony asked.

“Oh, umm…it went well,” Peter replied with a small smile.

Tony and Pepper couldn’t help but look at each other with concerned looks on their faces before turning back to Peter.

“Are you…sure, sweetheart?’ Pepper asked. “Y-You don’t sound all that excited.”

“And you’re not doing your usual word vomit thing,” Tony added with curiosity. “Something on your mind?”

Peter thought for a moment as he stared at his sandwich and salad thinking about what he talked about with his two friends…about how Spider-Man would be affected, the press conference, and hanging out with said friends. “Not…not really,” Peter began, “I mean…I mean, yeah, but…it…” he shrugged, “it’s kind of stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Tony said patting Peter on the shoulder. “Come on, bud, spill your guts.”

Peter gave a small smile to Tony and Pepper before it fell away again. “Well, uh…I was talking to Ned about the whole press conference thing and the pictures before MJ called,” he began, “and he was asking about how it would change…you know…Spider-Man.” He saw a look of understanding pass over Tony and Pepper. “And when he did, I guess I realized that…I hadn’t really thought much about it since…since May died, you know?”

“Sweetie, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Pepper said placing a hand on Peter’s. “It’s only been two weeks since the accident.”

“She’s right, bud,” Tony said as he stood up and knelt down next to Peter wrapping an arm around the kid. “You had a lot going on since May died. There’s nothing wrong with you taking a break for a bit. In fact, I’m actually glad you have been on a break.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, do you remember what we talked about that one time you went out on patrol after not getting enough sleep? When you put on that suit, you need to be on you’re a-game and ready to focus…both physically and emotionally. You needed time to heal after May died, and like Pep said, that’s perfectly okay.”

“And when you do want to put the suit back on,” Pepper added, “it has to be your choice and yours alone, not because someone wants you to.”

Peter nodded listening to his guardian and his fiancée. “Thanks, guys,” he said. “It’s just…” his nightmare flashed back into his mind, “I couldn’t save May, and the whole reason the accident was because of my senses… W-What if…?”

“Peter, first of all, remember what we talked about,” Tony said squeezing the teen’s shoulder. “The accident was not your fault. It was because of the other guy’s choice. That had nothing to do with you.”

“I-I know, I know,” Peter said, “and I’m trying to tell myself that. But then…when I’m out there as Spider-Man, what if I fail to save someone? Then it’s on me.”

Tony sighed. “Bud, I understand where you’re coming from,” he said after a moment of silence, “and there may be times where that happens. However, think about who would have a better chance when you are out there.”

“He’s right, Peter,” Pepper said, “and…I know I didn’t know May for long and we didn’t know Ben. But…I know for a fact that they wouldn’t want you to live in fear and let it stop your job as Spider-Man.”

“You think they would be happy to see me do it?”

“I do because I know Tony and I would be happy to see you pick it up again.”

“When you’re ready, of course,” Tony added.

Peter smiled at Tony and Pepper feeling their confidence and even May and Ben’s confidence in him. He wouldn’t be able to save everyone, but…so many people in Queens would have a better chance of surviving with Spider-Man. Peter Parker might not have been able to save May and Ben Parker, but Spider-Man could still save the people in Queens. However, he should do it when he was ready and when he was at the top of his game, so he could figure that out. “Thanks, guys,” he said. Another thought occurred to him. “Umm…actually, there was one other thing that came up.”

“What is it?” Tony asked.

“Well, Ned and MJ were talking about hanging out again,” Peter said, “and we haven’t decided when that would be yet. But I was wondering if—I mean I know I can always go to them to hang out—but I was wondering if…maybe they can come…here…maybe.”

“Of course, buddy,” Tony said, “you know I’ve met Ned and MJ when they came over to May’s.”

“Same here, we would love to have them, but just make sure you give Tony and me enough notice.”

“Done, I can totally do that. Thanks so much, guys!”

“You’re welcome, buddy.”

* * *

“You know the drill if you need anything,” Tony said as he and Peter walked down the hall after finishing up in the lab for the night. “Just have FRIDAY get me and Pepper or come get us if you want.”

“I know, Tony,” Peter said with a smile. “Thanks.” He walked to the doorway of his room bud stopped short when he saw his backpack near his closet door.

Tony saw what he was looking at as he walked over to his backpack. He knelt down while his guardian stayed at the doorway and unzipped his backpack…taking out the Spider-Man suit. “You really think I can still be Spider-Man, Tony?” he asked staring at the suit.

“Of course, I do,” Tony said with a smile. “Pep and I know you’re capable, but I want you to be 100% sure you want to get back out there.”

Peter looked at the suit again. It had been two weeks since May died, and he liked the idea of getting back out there. However, if he went back out there when he wasn’t ready, he wouldn’t be able to do his job as a superhero. “Maybe just a few more days of a hiatus wouldn’t hurt,” he said.

Tony smiled feeling the pride swell in his chest. “I think that’s a very mature decision,” he said.

* * *

It was a Sunday night when Peter decided to try patrolling again. As soon as he, Pepper, and Tony finished dinner, he went to his room to change into his suit, and when he was ready, he ran back into the living room with his mask in hand.

“Well, well, look who’s back,” Pepper said smiling as she and Tony saw the teenaged vigilante.

Peter couldn’t help but blush at Pepper’s compliment. “I got to admit,” he said. “It feels good to be back in the suit.”

“Good to see you back in the suit,” Tony said with a smile, “but before you go off swinging off to Queens…we need to review and/or revise the ground rules.”

Peter couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Okay,” he said reluctantly.

“Number one: be home by 11,” Tony began. “If you’re going to be late, text me and Pepper as soon as possible so that we don’t pull our hair out, and you’re only allowed to be late if something goes down.”

“Done, same as always,” Peter replied. That was one of the main rules he, May, and Tony established after May learned the truth.

“Okay, number two: text me in the middle just to let us know that you’re still alive and when you’re on your way home,” Tony added.

Peter nodded. However, he couldn’t help but feel a small pang in his heart. Before the accident, he was supposed to text both Tony and May when he was on his way back home from patrol and in the middle to check in.

“Number three: you contact me if there’s an emergency,” Tony added. “I don’t care what it is or what time it is. You call me, and I’ll be grab the suit to get to you.”

Peter nodded with a smile on his face. “Got it, Tony,” he said. So far, he was feeling the normal…the new normal settle in, and there was a part of him that liked it. Tony and Pepper were keeping him grounded, and he appreciated it. “Thanks.”

Tony smiled in return and pulled Peter into a hug. “You’re welcome,” he said as Peter returned the gesture. “Go get ‘em, Spiderling.”

“Alright,” Peter said as he pulled away and made his way toward the window, “I’ll be back by 11. See you later.”

“Good luck, sweetheart,” Pepper said with a smile.

“See you later, bud,” Tony added.

With one last smile, Peter ran out and pulled his mask on and jumped off cheering the entire way as he fired his webs from building to building swinging toward Queens.

* * *

Peter found himself a roof to perch on as he scanned the area. He finally made it to Queens under an hour, and he was itching to get to work.

“Hello, Peter, welcome back,” Karen said.

“Thanks, Karen, it’s good to be back,” Peter replied with a smile.

“Would you like me to scan the area?”

“Yes, please, give me anything you can throw at me.”

“Very well, but I would like to remind you that I’m only an AI. I cannot throw anything.”

Peter chuckled sensing the smile in Karen’s voice. “It’s just an expression,” he replied.

“Noted,” Karen replied. “I’m detecting a bank robbery about 4 blocks from your current location.”

“Ooh…some action, let’s do it,” Peter said with a smile on his face before he took off swinging from the buildings.

* * *

Oddly enough, it was the same break near his and May’s old apartment, and Peter was able to catch the robbers just before they could escape. He webbed the group to the glass doors of the bank and waited for the police to arrive on the scene, and as soon as the cops rounded up the criminals, the teenaged vigilante was about to leave when…

“Hey, Spider-Man,” one of the cops—Officer Benson—shouted to him, “welcome back to Queens. We were starting to wonder if you’d left.”

“I could never leave good ol’ Queens,” Peter said smiling under his mask. “It’ll take a lot to get me to leave.” With that said, he took off swinging through the city again before finding a spot on the roof of a building.

“Excellent work, Peter,” Karen said under Peter’s mask.

“Thanks, Karen,” Peter replied. “It felt good to be back in action again. Tony was right. I just…wish May could see me now.”

“I’m not detecting May Parker’s current location,” Karen replied having heard Peter’s wish to speak to his aunt.

“Oh, no, no, I didn’t mean it like that, Karen,” Peter said quickly feeling the sadness inside him. Usually, during patrol, Peter would usually not only check in with Tony but with May as well. Sometimes, he would send a text when he stopped the smaller crimes to keep her sane, but now…now he realized that he would never be able to do that again. She was gone. “T-That’s why I haven’t been in the suit in a while. My…my aunt May passed away.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Peter,” Karen said sadly. “May Parker was a great lady. I was quite fond of her.”

“Thanks, Karen,” Peter replied. “She was quite fond of you too.”

“You know, Peter,” Karen said, “I have some recordings of May.”

“Recordings?” Peter perked.

“Yes…there’s only a few from when you had your mask on,” Karen replied. “Would you like to see them?”

“Sure, pull up the first one,” Peter said as he made a hammock of his webs to relax. “While I’m watching, keep your scanners going for anything suspicious.”

“Of course, Peter,” Karen replied. “Playing video recording of May Parker from October 31, 2016.”

Peter couldn’t help but smile at this. It was the first Halloween after Ned and May learned he was Spider-Man…before he and Tony started becoming closer. It would only be a few weeks later when Tony invited him to Stark Tower to recognize his internship.

* * *

_“Well, guess who I’m going as,” Peter said as he walked out of the room to see Ned and May in the living room._

_“Oh really?” May said laughing. “That’s not obvious at all.”_

_“What? People will be dressing up as Spider-Man,” Peter replied incredulously._

_“Yes, but not with a costume Tony Stark designed,” May said with hands on her hips._

_“I think it looks great,” Ned said standing next to May nodding in approval._

_“Wha—Don’t encourage him,” May retorted with evidence of a smile. “Baby, seriously, put on the costume I ordered for you. No one will suspect anything with that one.”_

_“Aw, come on, May,” Peter said clearly joking._

_“Don’t make me call Stark,” May said. “I don’t know him very well, but I know he would back me on this one.”_

_Peter laughed. “I’m totally messing with you,” he said. “I’ll go change.”_

* * *

The recording stopped the minute he took his mask off that night, and he lifted his mask to wipe the tears from his eyes. He remembered that night clear as day, and there was a part of him that wished the video lasted just a few minutes longer…had given him more time to hear May’s voice and see her smile and laugh. Thankfully, he remembered his AI mentioning that there were a few recordings of May in his suit.

“Thank you, Karen,” Peter said after a moment sniffling as he wiped his tears.

“You’re welcome, Peter,” Karen replied with a smile in her voice. “If I may, perhaps, Mr. Stark will be able to set up a protocol to access these videos of your aunt whenever you wish.”

“Yeah, I’ll have to ask him about that,” Peter replied as he pulled his mask back over his face, “but that can wait until later. We still have some work to do.”

“Of course, I’m detecting a car-jacking in the area,” Karen said.

“Perfect, show me the way,” Peter said as he stood up on his makeshift hammock. With the route set, the teenaged vigilante took off swinging from the buildings. It wasn’t long until he realized that he was swinging around his neighborhood…his old neighborhood, and he wasn’t too far from where the car-jacker was. However, he quickly perched himself up on a building and looked across the street only to see his old building on 15th Street…his and May’s old building. Peter stared at it. It had been a week or so since they stopped in front of the building before taking May to the cemetery.

The teenager swung across the street and crept along the building until he found very familiar windows…the same windows he came home to every night after patrolling. He looked inside only to see that he was indeed looking into May’s bedroom noting that the window to his left was his. It was dark. There was no sign of anyone currently living in the apartment. His own room was empty when Tony had his things moved to the Tower. However, May’s things were left untouched…waiting for him to be ready to move them. It was completely empty…no sign of May, and his heart felt a pang of sadness knowing that his aunt was not there any more.

He knew at some point that he would have to go back to the apartment to take care of the rest of May’s things. Tony was paying for the rent until Peter would give the okay, and he made sure the teen knew that there was no rush. However, Peter also knew that they couldn’t wait forever. Sooner or later, they would need to look through May’s things.

“Peter, the car-jacker is still in need of being dealt with,” Karen suddenly said. “You must go.”

“Uhh…right, sorry,” he said before taking off in his intended direction.

* * *

Peter stopped one more car-jacking before his curfew, and after sending a quick text to Tony and Pepper that he was on his way home, he set off to do just that. The sight of his and May’s old apartment empty and dark was still fresh in his mind. The video of May helped a little bit, but there was still a pang of sadness that came with the nostalgia. However, it didn’t stop the small smile on his face as he swung toward Stark Tower as it stood in the distance. As soon as he was close enough, he grabbed onto the wall of the tower and climbed up toward the penthouse, and he made it up to the windows leading into the living room, where he found Tony and Pepper sitting on the couch in their pajamas on their tablets. The teen smiled to himself before opening the window causing his guardian and his fiancée to look up.

“Hey, welcome back, Underoos,” Tony said smiling and putting his tablet down.

“How did it go?” Pepper asked as Peter sat down in between them on the couch.

“It went good…great actually,” Peter said with a smile on his face. “I stopped a bank robbery and two car-jackings. The police said that it was great to have Spider-Man back, and…it…it actually did feel good to be back. In a way, I felt closer to May and Ben.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile as he ran a hand through Peter’s sweaty hair. “I’m sure they were really proud of you, buddy,” he said. “You’re certainly making Pep and me proud of you.”

Peter smiled. “Thanks, Tony,” he said. The memory of the empty apartment flashed into his mind. “Umm…there was actually something else I wanted to talk to you guys about.”

Tony and Pepper looked at each other and then back at Peter.

“What is it?” Pepper asked.

“Ummm…well, while I was swinging around tonight,” Peter began, “I…I passed by my old apartment.”

Tony and Pepper both nodded in understanding.

“I-I saw how empty it was,” Peter said as tears formed in his brown eyes, “and how…she wasn’t there…she’s never going to be there.”

Tony sighed sadly as he wrapped an arm around Peter. “I’m sorry, buddy,” he whispered into Peter’s curly hair. “I know that must’ve hurt.”

“Yeah, it did,” Peter said sniffling, “but…I did…think of something.”

“What, sweetheart?” Pepper asked.

“Well, I-I know it’s May and my home,” Peter replied as he wiped the tears from his face, “but I hated seeing it so empty…and dark. I-I would hate to see May’s things just sitting there. I think…I think I’m ready to go through her things and…empty out the apartment.”

“Are you sure?” Tony asked. “It’s only been two weeks, buddy.”

“You can wait a little longer if you want,” Pepper said.

“No, I…I want to do it,” Peter replied. “If I don’t, I…I may never be ready.”

“Okay,” Tony said nodding, “but…if you ever change your mind, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Thanks, Tony,” Peter said with a sad smile.

“We can call for a moving company in the morning,” Pepper said with a small smile. “We’ll get it scheduled for the day after the 4th.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnd that wraps it up for CHAPTER 17, guys! Next chapter is CHAPTER 18, and it’s the 4th of July and Peter is finally ready to go through May’s things at the apartment! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for the next one! Don’t forget to read and review! Thanks, guys!!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey my readers! Welcome back to another chapter of Raise Me Up! We are at CHAPTER 18!! It’s the Fourth of July and then we will get to see Peter, Tony, Pepper, and Happy begin to officially gather May’s things from the apartment. I hope you all enjoy it!!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Two days after Peter went back on patrol as Spider-Man was the 4th of July, and of course, Tony and Pepper wanted to make the day special for Peter, especially when it was his first one without May. They woke up early that day to meet up with Rhodey and Vision for a barbeque at the compound. After Peter and Tony went up to the compound the day after May died, Rhodey made Tony promise to bring Peter and Pepper up for the holiday, and the billionaire was happy to oblige.

“Did Ned and MJ say what they were doing today, kid?” Tony asked as he and Happy sat upfront with Happy at the wheel.

Peter knew Tony was referring to his call with Ned and MJ last night and smiled. “They’re going to spend the day with their families, too,” he replied. “Ned and his parents are going to Jones Beach, and MJ and her parents are going to the Hamptons. They said they’ll be back after the press conference to hang out.”

“That’s good,” Pepper said with a smile.

Peter took a deep breath and nodded.

Pepper of course noticed it and took Peter’s hand into hers. “Don’t think about it today, sweetheart,” she said. “We’ll work on that later this week. Today’s the day for family and relaxation, okay?”

Peter looked at her hand and smiled. “Okay,” he said. The CEO was right, and he knew without a doubt that May would tell him the same thing. Today was a holiday, and he was spending it with his family…just as May would want him to.

Tony couldn’t help but smile from where he sat watching the moment between Pepper and Peter. As much as he loved bonding with…his kid, he loved seeing the kid with his fiancée, and it was something that Peter would need now that May was gone. He was going to need a female figure in his life. Pepper would never replace May. No one could replace May, but Peter needed a female figure in his life…someone to keep him grounded…to comfort him. While he would always be there for Peter, he remembered what it was like to have a maternal figure. His mother was an angel, and May was too. Pepper was as well, and Peter needed her just as he needed him.

His thoughts were interrupted when his phone suddenly vibrated, and when he took it out of his pocket, he could see that it was a text from Rhodey.

_“As soon as you got here, we need to talk.”_

Tony furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion. _“Sure, everything okay?”_

Rhodey texted him back. _“Hard to explain over the phone. It’s better if I tell you in person.”_

“Everything okay, boss?” Happy asked jolting Tony to attention.

“Hmm?” Tony said pretending that his head of security didn’t just startle him. “Oh, yeah, everything’s fine, Hap. Rhodey’s just wondering where we are.”

Peter and Pepper looked at each other and then back at Tony and Happy.

“Honey, are you sure?” Pepper said leaning forward slightly. “You got a little quiet for a second.”

Peter eyed his guardian curiously. He wanted to know if Tony really was okay, but he didn’t want to overwhelm him with so many questions.

“Of course, totally fine,” Tony said he typed on his phone to Rhodey.

_“Okay, platypus, we’ll be there soon.”_

Rhodey responded by sending a thumbs-up emoji leaving Tony to wonder what could be so important that his best friend needed to wait to tell him in person. However, that didn’t stop him from sending a text to Pepper.

 _“Rhodey wants to talk as soon as we get there. He won’t tell me what it is though,”_ he texted her.

He snuck a glance at Peter. Thankfully, the kid was busy looking at the window and didn’t seem to notice. Depending on whatever it was Rhodey wanted to talk about, he would have to figure out if this was something Peter could know about. He turned around back to the road in front of him taking a deep breath.

* * *

As soon as the group arrived at the Compound, Peter was able to see Vision standing outside waiting for them. Happy parked the car right in front of the door allowing the passengers to get out.

“Hey, Vision,” Peter said as he hopped out of the car to greet the android.

“Greetings, Peter,” Vision replied with a small smile. “I trust that you enjoyed the ride to the compound.”

“Definitely,” Peter said trying to push down the nagging feeling in his stomach when he thought about how quiet Tony got in the car, “but I’m excited to celebrate the Fourth with you guys.” He looked around when he realized that someone else was missing. “Umm…where’s Rhodey?”

“Ah, he’s in the conference room,” Vision replied glancing at Tony as the billionaire stood behind Peter, “but he said to go ahead and head out back. He will join us when he’s finished.”

“I better go check on him,” Tony said as he patted the kid’s shoulder.

“I’ll come with you, Tony,” Peter said as he took a step to follow Tony.

However, his guardian quickly turned around with a small smile and a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, buddy,” he said. “It’s probably nothing. Why don’t you help Pepper, Happy, and Vision set up? Rhodey and I will meet up with you guys, okay?”

Peter felt his shoulders sag as Tony basically told him to stay behind. As much as he hated that Tony was keeping him out of the loop, he couldn’t help but feel that there was something seriously wrong. Tony did something similar the day after May died, but now, something felt off. Whatever it was, he knew that Tony was probably not going to keep him in the loop, but maybe there was a way he could help him. He sighed in defeat and nodded. “Okay,” he said.

Seeing the defeated look on Peter’s face made Tony’s heart sink, but the billionaire couldn’t figure out if this was something Peter or Spider-Man should be involved. It was better to keep the kid out of the loop for the time being. He gave Peter and Pepper one last smile before walking into the Compound making his way to the conference room.

As he walked to the conference room, he could see his best friend standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed clearly talking. He seemed tense, which confused Tony. What could cause Rhodey to look so tense? He opened the door and immediately found out why…Secretary Ross was on a videoconference with him.

“Hey, Tones, I’m sure you remember our dear friend, the Secretary of State,” Rhodey said coolly.

“Remember yourself, Colonel,” Ross interjected before Tony could say anything. He turned to the billionaire. “Stark, nice of you to drop by. It’s been a while since we last spoke.”

It indeed had been a while. Ever since Steve helped Wilson, and Wanda escape from the Raft, Tony had done everything he could to stay out of anything to do with Ross. Instead, he focused his time on making sure no one found the Rogues. He made sure Clint and Scott—Hawkeye and the Ant Man—were given house arrest after they struck deals. They had families and realized that going on the run wasn’t worth it. He also had been doing everything he could to keep Spider-Man off Ross’ radar. The very thought of Peter…a teenager being dragged away to the Raft all because of his abilities had always made Tony sick to his stomach, and it’s only increased over time, especially now.

“Well, with all due respect, sir,” Tony began, “I’m very busy man. I’ve had a lot on my plate yesterday.”

“Oh, yes, I’m sure going to Coney Island with your intern is quite time-consuming,” Ross retorted.

Tony couldn’t help but feel a chill go down his spine at Ross’ comment. Nevertheless, he maintained his composure as best as he could as he snuck a look at Rhodey. “Mr. Secretary, with… _somewhat_ due respect, my private life is none of your business,” he said. “However, if you’re so curious as to why I was with my intern, he suffered a tragic loss in the family, and I was trying to help him. More information will be given at a press conference, and that’s all I have to say on the matter. Although, I’m quite surprised the Secretary of State himself even cares about gossip.” The billionaire could see Rhodey trying his hardest not to burst out laughing.

“I make it a point to keep an eye on people I work with…especially those who claim to be Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and have no problem running around with no boundaries.”

“May I remind you, sir, that we were the ones who signed those Accords,” Rhodey added.

“As did Agent Romanoff, but look what happened there,” the Secretary said.

Tony visibly flinched at the mention of the Black Widow. Ever since the battle in Germany…when Natasha purposely thwarted T’Challa’s attempts to bring in Steve and his buddy, Barnes, their last encounter left a sour taste in his mouth. Natasha pulled a double agent stunt…all for a criminal, and it only continued to rip the Avengers apart. “Is there a reason you’re calling us?” Tony suddenly said. “Because it’s the 4th of July, and I have a barbeque calling my name.”

_“…and a kid…” he added mentally, “waiting for me…”_

“I was calling to ask Col. Rhodes if there were any updates regarding the Rogues,” Ross replied, “but since you’re here as well, you can give me your updates as well, Stark. Where are they?”

“Sir, we’ve been through this,” Rhodey replied. “Barton and Lang are the only two under house arrest. There have been no signs of Rogers, Barnes, Wilson, Maximoff, or Romanoff anywhere. It’s been that way for about a year.”

The Colonel wasn’t wrong. It had been a year…more than a year since the Avengers broke up over the Sokovia Accords…since the fight between Tony, Steve, and Barnes…since he received a phone and a flimsy letter from Captain America. Tony occasionally checked in on them through satellites and security cameras, and he did what he could to prevent his former teammates from being arrested. His problems were with Steve, Natasha, and Barnes, not completely with Sam Wilson and Wanda Maximoff, even though he was offended being accused of locking the girl in her room…when she had complete freedom to roam around the compound.

“So what do you suggest we do, Col. Rhodes?” Ross suddenly asked jolting Tony out of his thoughts. “Simply allow these Rogues to go free? Allow the crazy man from the 40s who murdered the previous king of Wakanda to roam without boundaries?”

“Sir, if you recall correctly, Barnes wasn’t responsible for what happened in Vienna,” Tony retorted. “Zemo framed him. I tried to tell you that myself.”

“And like I told you,” Ross retorted, “after the stunts you pulled in Germany, I wasn’t going to listen to you.”

“Yet you wonder why I constantly put you on hold,” Tony said.

“Alright, alright,” Rhodey finally said holding his hands up to calm both his boss and his best friends. “We’re clearly not getting anything accomplished by arguing. Mr. Secretary, with all due respect, is there a reason you called us? Because if it’s just to criticize Tony on doing a nice thing for his intern, then we have better things to do.”

“I want you to take the Vision and find those Rogues to bring them to justice,” Ross replied.

“Can’t do that,” Tony said quickly. “Like I said, I have a lot on my plate right now.” The thought of going after the Rogues made his heart pound. Not only would he risk running into Steve and Natasha, but there was a certain teenager, who would certainly drop everything to try to help. The thought of Peter being sucked into this matter again scared him immensely. As much as he hated to admit it, Natasha was right when they last spoke. Rhodey getting paralyzed was the best-case scenario. Steve’s shield went down on his chest and could’ve done more damage. He couldn’t risk his family again…now…not when Peter needed him and Pepper. “However, there is one thing I am willing to try…something I have been thinking about for a while now…a chance for Rhodey, Vision, and I to amend the Accords.”

“Absolutely not,” Ross quickly said.

“Under what authority are you in a position to deny us that chance, Ross? Are you seriously willing to risk a repeat of Germany just so you don’t have to admit that some of those Accords were just a little bit extreme? I don’t know how Rogers or his cronies will react, but if we can use the Accords to make things right, we get them to come back and back on our side again.”

There was a long pause. It was about a minute, but to Tony, it felt like an eternity as he and Rhodey watched Ross look like he was considering it.

“Col. Rhodes, you agree with your buddy here?” he asked.

“100%, sir,” Rhodey replied. “If we can get the Avengers back together and the Accords straightened out, things would be a hell of a lot easier.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile as he heard Rhodey supporting him, but he was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out of his pocket and saw a text message from Pepper.

_“Any chance you found a certain teenager? He said he went to the find a bathroom, but he didn’t come back. I think he got a little worried about you.”_

Tony raised his eyebrows, as it didn’t take him very long—only a matter of seconds to figure out whom Pepper was referring to. He should’ve known that Peter wouldn’t listen to him and would want to know what was going on. He figured the kid was hiding somewhere here to avoid being spotted and to use his enhanced hearing to eavesdrop, and he didn’t want to alert Ross that the kid was doing so. So, he maintained composure as Ross finally spoke up again.

“I will discuss it with the UN reps and my colleagues,” he finally said, “and I will get back to the both of you.”

Both Tony and Rhodey sighed in relief. Neither of them was expecting this conversation to take such a turn, but it was definitely welcomed. They could avoid further bloodshed and get Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together again. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was something.

“Thank you, Mr. Secretary,” Rhodey said. “Enjoy the 4th.”

“Don’t make me regret this,” he snapped back. With that, he hung up leaving Tony and Rhodey alone in the conference room.

“Well, he’s certainly cheery,” Tony commented.

Rhodey couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sorry to make you worry like that,” he said. “He demanded that you get on the call as well, and I knew that you wouldn’t have come if I told you.”

Tony shook his head. “Not your fault, Rhodey,” he said. “I had been dodging him for a year. I’ve been busy with SI and the kid, I guess, it was bound to bite me in the ass sooner or later after things calmed down after the hearing.” There was a pause as Tony looked outside the conference room remembering what Pepper texted him. “Speaking of the kid…” He made his way out of conference room before his best friend could ask him to clarify, and he looked around the hallway. “Hmm…FRIDAY?”

“Yep, boss,” FRIDAY said.

“Any chance you can tell me where Peter is?”

“Why, yes, boss,” FRIDAY sounded like there was a smile in her voice. “I still believe he is using his powers to stick to the ceiling…right above you.”

“FRIDAY!” someone shouted…right above him.

Tony couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked, and sure enough, there was Peter on the ceiling using his powers to stick to the ceiling. “You’re not exactly very sneaky when you’re out of the suit, are you?”

“I can be very sneaky!” Peter said defensively.

“Really? Because Pepper texted me that you told her that you went to the bathroom and never came back.”

“Okay, but that’s Pepper,” Peter said as he maneuvered himself so that he came down from the ceiling and turned around to face Tony. “She could see anything.” He really should’ve known that he wouldn’t have been able to fool Pepper Potts.

“If you knew that, why’d you come down here?” Tony asked. He just barely missed Rhodey looking at him like he had 10 heads out of the corner of his eye.

Peter couldn’t help but shrug. “I knew that she would try to tell me that everything is okay,” he began, “but—I know you—you didn’t look like everything was okay. So I got worried.”

Tony sighed with a small smile as he remembered Pepper’s text. Of course Peter was worried. He, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and Vision were all he had left, especially him and Pepper. He couldn’t blame the kid for eavesdropping. He would’ve done the same if Peter weren’t acting like himself.

“I-I’m sorry for lying and eavesdropping, Tony,” Peter finally said. He cringed somewhat as he twiddled his thumbs. “Are you mad?”

The billionaire sighed and shook his head before pulling Peter into a hug. If Howard had heard him eavesdropping, there probably would’ve been a punishment not too far behind, but for Tony, he couldn’t do that to Peter. Peter knew it was wrong, but he only did it because he was worried. That was all. “No, buddy, I’m not mad,” Tony said as he carded his hand through Peter’s hair. “No harm done, and I would’ve done the same. I just wasn’t sure if this was something I should bring you into.”

Peter nuzzled into Tony’s chest breathing in his scent smiling. “Well, now that I heard,” he began carefully, “are you really going to do it? Try to change the Accords?”

“We’re going to try, yeah,” Tony replied.

“Only if Ross and the UN agree to it,” Rhodey said. “Although, I have a feeling that there will be some sort of catch.”

“Steve Rogers?” Peter asked looking at both his guardian and the Colonel.

“Most likely, kid,” Rhodey replied.

“But we’re not going to worry about it right now,” Tony quickly said. “It’s the 4th, and we came up here to celebrate. So that’s what we’re going to do. We can worry about Ross and the Accords later, okay?”

Peter smiled feeling a little better knowing that Tony was keeping in him in the loop. He also knew that Tony didn’t want to waste the holiday talking about politics for both of them.

“Okay,” the teen replied.

* * *

As ready as Peter felt to move May’s things out of the apartment, he still dreaded it. Not only was he officially saying goodbye to May…again…but he was saying goodbye to their home…their little apartment in Queens. He couldn’t ask Tony and Pepper to move. Plus, it made more sense for him to move into the tower. However, grief and logic often didn’t go so well together. There was a part of him that wished he, Tony, Pepper, and Happy could stay at the compound a little longer. After a fun 4th of July celebration, they woke up early the next day to get a rented U-HAUL in the city before heading toward Queens. They made it to Queens around 11 before Tony finally suggested that they would stop at Peter’s favorite deli to grab some lunch, which Peter deeply appreciated.

Happy pulled up with the U-HAUL a little ways away from Mr. Delmar’s deli, and Tony and Peter got out leaving Happy and Pepper outside with the car and the U-HAUL to avoid police looking to give them a parking ticket. Tony and Peter walked into the store, and sure enough, there was Mr. Delmar at the counter.

“Ah, hola, Peter, Señor Stark,” Mr. Delmar said with a smile.

“Hola, Mr. Delmar, ¿cómo está?” Peter replied as he and Tony walked up to the counter. There were no customers around to see Tony Stark walking into the deli with his intern.

“Bueno, bueno,” Mr. Delmar replied. “How have you been doing, Peter? We didn’t have much of a chance to talk at your aunt’s wake and funeral.”

Peter realized that the deli owner was right as he pet the orange cat, Murphy sitting on the counter. He remembered Mr. Delmar talking to him briefly at the wake and the funeral, but it wasn’t for very long. There were other people who wanted a chance to express their condolences, and Peter himself was not all there the entire time. It was difficult to hold conversations at the time.

“I’ve…I’ve been hanging in there,” Peter answered honestly. “I mean…it hurts still, but…I…eventually, I…I don’t know…I’ll be okay.”

Mr. Delmar nodded. “You will be,” he said. He threw a quick glance at the billionaire right behind Peter. “Mr. Stark taking care of you?”

Peter smiled and nodded. “Yes, sir,” he said. “He’s been doing so much for me, him and Ms. Potts.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear that,” Mr. Delmar replied. “In that case, what can I get you both today? The usual?”

It was moments like this that made Peter realize just how huge of a part Tony had become in his life over the past year. He was supposed to come to his awards ceremony. He and May planned it before she died. Before that, he and Tony made yet another habit to come to Mr. Delmar’s deli quite a few times…to the point where Mr. Delmar remembered what he ordered. It made the warmth in his chest grow even more, and even more grateful to May for giving him this one final gift.

Once Tony and Peter got their orders and sandwiches for Happy and Pepper, Peter took the sandwiches while Tony took his wallet to pay.

“Forget it, Stark,” the deli owner said holding his hand up to stop him. “It’s on the house.”

“No, no, Delmar,” Tony tried to say.

“You’re taking care of that boy,” he replied with a warm smile. “Someone in your position could’ve just tossed him aside, but you didn’t. Consider it a gift…on the account that you keep taking care of him.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile at Mr. Delmar grateful for how much he cared about the kid…his charge. He nodded and held out his hand for the deli owner to shake, and Mr. Delmar gladly accepted the gesture.

“Take care of him, Stark,” he said. “He needs you.”

Tony nodded before smiling once again and making his way out of the store to meet up with Peter.

* * *

After lunch, Peter, Tony, Happy, and Pepper drove to the apartment, and Peter couldn’t but feel another pang in his chest. No matter that he knew that his aunt was gone forever, it still hurt when he remembered and when he realized that this was really and truly his last time in the apartment. He, Tony, and Pepper decided to sell the apartment knowing another family could make it their home in the future or maybe a young couple looking to live together. Peter even considered buying it again someday whenever he would be ready to live on his own someday, but it hurt to think of himself living there without May and even being away from Tony and Pepper. The logical part of him knew it was the nostalgia thinking this way, but it still hurt.

Once Happy found a parking space big enough for the car and the U-HAUL, Peter felt his heart sink as he looked up at the building, He took a deep breath as they all got out of the car. No one said much. There wasn’t much to say right now as Tony, Pepper, and Happy followed Peter up to the apartment. Thankfully, once again, not many people were around, which they were grateful for. Now that the pictures of Peter and Tony were out there, chances were the paparazzi would try to track them down and take more pictures of them until the press conference, and that was the last thing any of them needed right now, especially Peter. As soon as they reached the door to Peter’s…old…apartment, the teenager took out a key and unlocked the door to open it, and when he did, his heart sank even more at the sight.

The door leading to his bedroom was wide open allowing him to see how empty it was now that his furniture was with him at the Tower, and the apartment itself was just as dark as it was the night he passed by at Spider-Man. There was a part of him still that waited for her to come out of her room…to come up to him and hug him showing that it wasn’t real…that she wasn’t dead and that they weren’t about to leave this place forever. Instead, a hand landed on his shoulder to his left jolting him out of his thoughts, and he turned to look only to see that…it was Tony…his guardian…looking at him with concern all over his face.

It wasn’t May, but as he told them at the hearing, it was her gift to him…the gift of familiarity, safety, home, love, and family. Tears formed in his eyes as his heart swelled with so many mixed emotions.

“It’s okay, Peter,” Tony said quietly. “It’s okay.”

Peter nodded as a stray tear streamed down his face.

Tony sighed. “M-Maybe we can come back another time, buddy,” he said pulling him in for a hug. “We can take the truck back and—”

“No,” Peter said quickly as he pulled away slightly, “no, I told you, Tony. If I don’t do this now, I never will. I have to do this…for me…and for May. I just…” he gripped Tony slightly tighter, “don’t…want you to leave me…alone.”

Tony sighed as he pulled Peter to his chest running a hand through his hair. “Never, bud,” he said. “I’m stuck to you like glue. I’m right here. _We’re_ …your family…is right here…no matter what.”

Peter nodded as he nuzzled into Tony’s chest as more tears streamed down his cheeks. This was going to be one of the hardest things he had ever done, but with May’s last gift…their family, he knew that he would pull through.

Tony looked over Peter’s head and at Pepper and Happy as they watched. He could tell that they wanted to hug Peter as well, but they all knew that it would overwhelm him right now. It would be best to wait until Peter showed that he needed/wanted it. Right now, he just needed a hug from Tony.

After a minute of being in Tony’s embrace, Peter was ready to do what they came to do. He slowly pulled away and wiped his face before sighing. “Umm…m-maybe we can start in her room? Work our way to out here?”

“That’s perfectly fine, kiddo,” Tony said with a sad smile on his face. It hurt him seeing his kid…his ward…his kid making these decisions, but he told Peter needed to know that he wasn’t being babied.

* * *

The boxes were split into three categories: Donate, Keep, and Throw Away. Peter figured that May would’ve wanted her clothes to be donated. They buried her with most of her jewelry, especially her wedding ring and the last necklace Ben gave to her before she died. Pepper suggested that they could keep her engagement ring for Peter to use someday, and Peter couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the girl of his dreams…wearing his aunt’s engagement ring once he would propose. He couldn’t help but think that May would’ve loved that.

Once the clothes were placed in the Donated boxes, they moved onto things Peter could and wanted to keep, and the teenager wasted no time in grabbing all the pictures of him, of May and Ben, of his parents, and any photo albums he could find. These were precious memories, and he hated the idea of memories being lost forever. Plus, Tony would want to see them, and he wanted to show Tony and Pepper, as it would help keep May’s memory alive. Peter also didn’t hesitate in grabbing the large box that was full to the brim with old video recordings. The videos of May on his suit were good, but these were memories of his parents, May, and Ben. He was never going to let go of those. There were also a few keepsakes that he and Tony found in May’s bedroom.

In a small manila folder stored in a box, Peter found himself taking out folded sheets of construction paper with pictures of flowers, hearts, figures, and Christmas trees drawn on them, and tears formed in his eyes as he read the messages…

_“Merry Christmas!”_

_“Happy Mother’s Day!”_

_“Happy Valentine’s Day!”_

_“I love you very much!”_

Peter let out a shaky breath and sniffled. “She actually kept these,” he said.

“What, buddy?” Tony said as he crawled over to where Peter sat near the closet. “Are you okay?”

Peter sniffled. “It’s…umm…” Peter said as the tears streamed down his face, “it’s the cards…Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day cards I made for her when I was in elementary school. I-I didn’t expect to…to find them. I…I didn’t think she would keep them for so long. I mean…not that she didn’t care…just….I don’t know…”

“It’s the memories, bud,” Tony said as he pulled Peter into his arms. He couldn’t help but remember when he went through his parents’ things after the accident. Obadiah was taking care of things to get him set to take over as CEO, and Rhodey was visiting family. He was alone, and it was far too soon to go through his things. He refused to let the same happen to the teen crying in his arms…to let the teen think he was alone…to let him think that he had to do this right away. “Listen, kid, maybe this is a little too soon. Maybe we can come back and finish next week.”

“No, no, Tony,” Peter said crying. “I…I can do it. I-I’m not weak.”

“It’s not a matter of weakness, buddy,” Tony said.

“I know, I know, but listen to me,” Peter said as he held on a little tighter. “I’m not weak because…because you’re with me, Tony. I just…I just miss her so much, but I have to do this now…because it will help me move forward…with you guys…my family.”

Tony smiled and slowly buried his face in Peter’s hair. “Damn right, kid,” he said, “and we’re not leaving you…never.”

* * *

After Peter cried for another minute in Tony’s arms smiling at Tony’s promise to never leave him, they slowly went back to work gathering May’s things. Peter decided to keep the cards along with the other keepsakes he found. He even found a blanket that May loved to use in the winter on cold nights, and he wasn’t ashamed to press it against his nose taking in her scent before placing it in the “Keep” boxes. He even went through her china remembering her making him promise to keep it for when he would have a place of his own. Thankfully, Tony and Pepper found some bubble wrap to put it in the boxes along with the recordings, the engagement ring, the blanket, photos, and a few other items he found and decided to keep.

A few hours later…the boxes were moved down to the U-HAUL, leaving the apartment completely empty with the exception of the bare essentials a new couple or tenant or family would need. Sadness crept in his heart as he took in the apartment. It was his last moments on 15th Street…for real, and he wanted to take as much time as he could before returning to his new home at the Tower.

Tony and Pepper must’ve understood this. After Tony placed his key—the one May gave to him for his birthday on the table, he turned to him. “The…uh…landlord told me to leave our keys here and to shut off the lights,” he said. “Pep and I will be waiting with Happy, and you take as much as time as you need, okay?”

Peter gave him a small smile and nodded. “Okay,” he said, “I’ll meet you guys. I won’t be too long.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnd that’s all for this chapter, boys and girls!! Next chapter, we’ll get Peter officially saying goodbye and some more! I would’ve put it here, but it got way too long, so I decided to move that to CHAPTER 19. I’m still writing it so it should come soon! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for CHAPTER 19! Don’t forget to read and review! Thanks, guys!!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to another chapter of Raise Me Up! We are at CHAPTER 19! Peter has his few last moments in the apartment, we get to see Tony’s feelings on this possible father/son relationship with Peter, and we get to see some hijinks on the morning of the press conference. I know I said we would get to the press conference in this chapter, but it will be in the next one because this one got a little too long. I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

His guardian gave him one last smile and a pat on the shoulder before walking out the door leaving Peter alone in the apartment…one last time. As soon as Tony closed the door behind him, Peter sighed as he looked around the apartment. It was now empty…completely devoid of any sign that May and Peter ever lived there, and it looked so much bigger without the picture frames, books, and whatever else May and Peter had used to make it feel like home. As he fiddled with the key in his fingers, he walked around trying to take in as much as he could before leaving. May got to say goodbye before she was brought to the cemetery, and now it was her nephew’s turn.

He took another deep breath as so many memories ran through his head…the first time he and May moved in…about a month before school started not long after Peter returned from his “retreat” in Germany…

* * *

_“Well, what do you think?” May said happily as they walked in through the door._

_“What do you mean? I’ve seen it before, May,” Peter retorted smiling and chuckling, “and we haven’t unpacked yet.”_

_“Alright, wise guy,” she said with a chuckle of her own. “That’s not what I meant. I just…want,” she put her things down on the floor before walking over to him placing a hand on his cheek, “to make sure you’re really okay with this, you know?”_

_“I mean…I’ll definitely miss our old apartment…I mean, that was where we loved before Uncle Ben…you know…but I also think…this is good, you know? It’ll be a nice change, so long as we’re together…you know?”_

_May smiled at him with tears in her eyes before pulling him into a hug. “Of course, baby,” she said. “We’ll always be together…no matter what, and I know Ben would want us to be happy… It’s you and me now…always…”_

* * *

Tears formed in his eyes as the memory faded to the back of his mind. May had kept her promise no matter what, and he made sure to do so in return. It was all taken from them in one night all because of someone’s horrible decision. It made him angry, but he couldn’t stay angry for long. May would never break that promise…even in death, and he knew that. She gave him one last gift…naming Tony his guardian…making sure that he had someone if anything were to happen to her, and that someone was someone she wasn’t a huge fan of before she found out Peter was Spider-Man. Somehow, she knew Tony and Peter needed each other, and he couldn’t help but laugh as he looked at the doorway to his old room…where May stood almost a year ago finding him in the Spider-Man suit not long after the Vulture incident.

* * *

_“What the f—” May shouted from behind him._

_“May! W-What are you—this…this isn’t what it looks like!” Peter shouted as he quickly turned around to face her and pressed the logo on his chest to release the suit from his body allowing it to fall from his body leaving him in his boxers._

_“Oh, so I didn’t just catch my nephew wearing Spider-Man’s suit?!”_

_“Uhhh…no…”_

* * *

Peter couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head at the memory. He should’ve known that he couldn’t keep Spider-Man a secret from her for long. Of course, she was bound to find out. She was Aunt May, the most amazing and smartest person in the world…right next to Tony, Pepper, Ben, Rhodey, Med, MJ, and Happy! It looked a little bleak for him that following week when he had to lay low and to try to convince her that everything was fine and that Tony was a huge help. Then once all three of them sat down and talked, she was onboard.

* * *

_“I’m really sorry I kept this from you, May,” Peter said once he and Tony finished giving their sides of the story. “I just…I thought…w-with Ben, you know…you wouldn’t…”_

_“I wouldn’t let you?” May finished for him as Tony witnessed the scene unfold between aunt and nephew._

_Peter sheepishly nodded as he twiddled his thumbs. “And…it’s like Uncle Ben always said,” he began, “‘with great power comes great responsibility.’ I…I wasn’t born with these powers, but that spider bit me for a reason. I-I’m meant to do something with them…by looking out for the little guy, and I guess I just…worried about what you would say.”_

_May sighed. “You are so much like Ben, baby,” she said running a hand through his hair. “I guess I can understand why you didn’t tell me, but…Peter, we are family. You and me, baby, so we need to be more open with each other. Because what if something were to go wrong out there? I mean…you were fighting Liz’s dad… If something happened to you…I wouldn’t have known.”_

_Peter looked from May to Tony, who nodded fully supporting May’s statement. She was right as always. If something had happened to him…if he died…she wouldn’t have known it until it was too late. “I’m…I’m sorry, May,” he said with tears in his eyes. “I-I didn’t…I didn’t mean to upset you.”_

_“I know you didn’t, and that’s why we’re not going to dwell on it now. It’s all out in the open. The cat’s out of the bag, and all that jazz. Now…we can focus on moving forward, okay?”_

_“Okay,” Peter said before wrapping his arms around her._

_“We’ll be okay, Peter,” she whispered into his ear._

* * *

Peter sighed shakily as that memory faded into the back of his mind as he continued to fiddle with the key in his fingers refusing to let it go and slowly moved closer to the table. That was something May always said to him when he was upset about something or after they had an argument. It was never one of them would be okay. It was always that they would be okay, and she had been saying that ever since the night Ben died. Now, he would never get to hear her say it again. It was only a memory that he would carry with him for the rest of his life.

“You were right, May,” he whispered aloud as the tears streamed down his cheeks. “We…We will be okay. You, Ben, my parents, Tony, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, and Vision…we’ll be okay.” He looked around the apartment again. “I’ll never forget this place, I promise.” He took a deep breath and slowly placed the key right next to Tony’s.

Once he placed it on the table, he stepped away from the table making his way toward the door refusing to take his eyes off the apartment. He slowly placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it opening the door as the tears formed in his eyes again.

“Bye, apartment,” Peter whispered. “Bye, May…” With that, he turned off the lights with the flick of a switch and walked out closing the door behind him leaving the apartment in darkness. He found himself on autopilot as he moved from the door down to the front doors of the building, and sure enough, he found Tony, Pepper, and Happy out front. He could see that Tony, Pepper, and Happy out front. He could see that Tony had his back to him and appeared to be talking to somebody on his cellphone while facing Pepper.

“Yes, that’s perfect,” Tony said to whoever was on the phone with him. “I will tell Peter right away. Pepper and I both will.” He paused. “Thank you so much. Bye.” He hung up the phone as Pepper noticed Peter standing on the top of the stairs.

“Tony,” she whispered as she gestured to him causing her fiancé to turn around.

“Hey, kid,” he said upon seeing Peter standing there. “You…uh…you ready to go?”

Tears formed in his eyes again as Peter nodded. Tony and Pepper must’ve noticed the tears because both their face softened even more, and Tony smiled opening his arms. Peter wasted no time in running into his guardian’s arms nearly knocking the older man over, and Tony wasted no time in returning the gesture.

“I hate saying goodbye like this,” Peter said sniffling burying his face in Tony’s chest.

“I know, buddy,” Tony said soothingly. “I know. I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but unfortunately, it’s only a matter of getting used to it.”

“But we’re here for you, okay, sweetie?” Pepper said as he rubbed Peter’s back with Happy right behind her.

“She’s right, kid,” Happy added.

“And it’s not goodbye to Queens forever,” Tony said burying his face in Peter’s hair. “You’ll still come back here for school and your…you know…the other guy, and we can always come back to Delmar’s deli, okay?”

Peter nodded with a small smile and a sniffle. It wasn’t going to be the same, but hearing Tony reassure him that he would be back in Queens for school, Spider-Man, time with his best friends, and trips to the deli made his chest warm again. No matter what, Tony always knew how to make him feel better, and even Pepper and Happy knew what to say as well. Not that he doubted them, it was simply nice to be reminded of that every once and a while. He sniffled again. “Thanks, guys,” he said.

“You’re welcome, buddy,” Tony said. He was about to press his lips to Peter’s head, but managed to stop himself at the last minute. “Now…how about we head home? Maybe we can spend some time in the lab before you go out for patrol?”

“Umm…actually, Tony,” Peter began as he slowly pulled away to look at his guardian in the eye, “I don’t feel like going out on patrol tonight. Can we have a movie night and lab time instead?”

“Absolutely,” Tony replied nodding. “Come on, let’s get going before some cops decide to give Happy a ticket.”

“Technically, boss,” Happy began as they walked to the car with Tony keeping his arm wrapped around Peter, “the car is in your name, so you would be the one to get the ticket.”

“True, but I’m not the one in the driver’s seat,” Tony said as he and Peter climbed into the backseat as the teen wiped his tears and chuckled.

Pepper and Happy could only laugh and shake their heads as Happy climbed back into the driver’s seat while Pepper got in the back with Tony and Peter.

“By the way, kid,” Tony began as they all buckled up before Happy started the car and pulled into the street, “I was just on the phone with Ms. Walker.”

Peter immediately froze and looked up at Tony with widened brown eyes at the mention of the social worker. He had not thought much about her since the day those pictures from the hearing and Coney Island leaked.

“It’s nothing, nothing bad,” Tony said quickly holding his hand up to calm Peter down. “Remember what I told you after the funeral…how she was going to meet with us at least once a month or so to check in? That’s what it was. She’s going to meet up with us on Friday for dinner after the press conference. This way, we can get it all out of the way, okay?”

Peter felt himself relax somewhat once Tony explained and sank back into the seat. “Oh, thank God,” he said. “Sorry I got a little freaked out. I just…got a little nervous, I mean I’m still nervous.”

“There’s nothing to be nervous about, buddy,” Tony said wrapping his arm around Peter pulling him close to his side. “It’s all going to be fine. The press will love you, and other than Spider-Man, we have nothing to hide from them or the social worker. And the social worker will be fine too. She’s just going to have dinner with you, Pepper, and me to see how everything is going.”

“But what if I say something or do something that makes you look bad?” Peter asked.

“You won’t, buddy,” Tony replied. “For the press conference, like we said, we’ll go over what we can talk about and what’s going to happen. For Walker, all you need to do is be yourself and just say how everything is going with Pepper and me…just like you did at the hearing. Trust me, buddy, you’ll be fine, and we’ll be with you the whole time.”

“Promise?” Peter asked.

“Promise,” Tony replied with a smile, which only made Peter smile in return. “Now, what movie should we all watch tonight?”

* * *

Later that night, Tony found himself sitting between his fiancée snuggled on his left and his charge—he still wasn’t sure what word to use at this point—snuggled on his right on the couch while Happy sat in the recliner near the couch as the movie continued. Peter of course picked a Disney movie, and of course, no one minded knowing that Peter needed a lighthearted movie to help him deal with the grief he felt that day. So, that was what they found themselves doing after eating some Chinese for dinner.

“Well, not that this wasn’t fun,” Happy said standing up as the credits rolled signaling the end of the movie, “but I’m pretty wiped from today. The Donate boxes are in the garage for tomorrow, so I’ll make sure they get everything.”

“Thanks, Hap,” Tony said smiling at his best friend and forehead of security, “for everything.”

Happy couldn’t help but smile. “You got it, boss,” he replied. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Good night.”

“Night, Hap,” Tony said as Happy made his way out of the penthouse.

“Good night, Happy,” Pepper added.

“Hey, bud, why don’t we head to bed, huh?” Tony asked as he ran a hand through his brown hair.

There was no answer except for a little snore coming from the teen causing Tony to furrow his eyebrows together and angle his head so that he could get a better look at Peter.

“Kid?” Tony asked again.

He got his answer when he saw that Peter was sound asleep on his chest snoring lightly.

“Awww…he really is cute when he’s asleep,” Pepper said as she ran a hand through Peter’s hair smiling. However, the smile fell away. “I would hate to wake him up. He’s had a long day.”

Tony sighed knowing his fiancée was completely right. Peter had an insanely long day from getting up early that morning to moving his aunt’s things out of the apartment. He had every right to be tired especially when dealing with the grief. The grief always seemed to have had that effect on people…emotionally and physically draining the person. “I better get him to bed,” he whispered to Pepper.

“Need some help?” Pepper asked as she leaned back allowing Tony to stand up.

“Nah,” Tony replied as he scooped Peter up into his arms making sure the teen’s head was resting against his shoulder. “I’ve been meaning to work out the muscles a little more today.”

Pepper couldn’t help but giggle at Tony’s comment and at the sight of her fiancé and…his kid in her arms. Over the past 10 months, Pepper got to watch Tony and Peter slowly grow from mentor and mentee to almost…father and son, but recently, ever since Tony picked Peter up from the hospital…after May died, she could see her fiancé slowly settling more and more into that of a father. She could help love every minute of it, and there was a part of her that couldn’t help but think that there was…something stopping Tony and Peter from embracing it…whether it was not wanting to admit it or not fully realizing it. She could only hope that the walls would continue to come down…to let the relationship continue to grow even more, but it was Tony and Peter. She realized that she had nothing to worry about as she followed Tony as he carried Peter to his bedroom.

She wasted no time in pulling down the covers allowing Tony to place Peter on the bed and pull the covers up to the teen’s chin. She smiled to herself as she watched Tony run a hand through Peter’s hair.

“Night, buddy,” Tony whispered to Peter. “See you in the morning.”

“Good night, sweetheart,” Pepper whispered before she walked out of the room with Tony close behind. She found herself staring at Tony again smiling as he closed the door behind them and turn back to her.

Tony saw Pepper staring at him with that beautiful smile of hers, and he couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows together. “What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said. “It’s just…it’s a good look on you.”

“What is?”

“Fatherhood…”

Tony couldn’t help but smile and sigh. “Pep…” he began. It wasn’t that he didn’t see Peter as…something like a son to him. He had been feeling it for quite a while now…like he told May the day she officially named him as Peter’s back-up guardian in her will. It was like they were slowly moving from mentor and mentee to…something more than that…sort of like father and son, but was that what it was? If it were…how would Peter even feel about it? He just lost his aunt, and before that, he lost his parents and his uncle. He didn’t want Peter to think that his family was being replaced, but…he wanted Tony as his guardian and saw them as his family like May. That…had to count for something.

Pepper seemed to know that he was going to say that, and she reached for his hands taking them into hers. “I know,” she said. “Just take it one day at a time and see where this leads you two…where it leads us, but…you wouldn’t be replacing them. He wants this like you do. He’s said so himself, and you… _we_ have been doing pretty good so far, don’t you think?”

“Yeah…yeah, I think we have,” Tony said smiling at her.

* * *

Friday came in the blink of an eye as Peter woke up that morning to his alarm. It had only been two days since they moved everything out of his and May’s apartment, and just the day before, Good Will came to pick up what was being donated. Thankfully, Tony kept him distracted in the lab, which he greatly appreciated, and after he and Pepper helped him to prepare one last time for the press conference, they were able to enjoy the rest of the day once Happy came back to the penthouse…after Good Will left. The teen couldn’t help but sigh as he rolled onto his back remembering what was to happen that day…the press conference to confirm that Peter was now under Tony’s care…and the dinner with the social worker. His heart began to pound. At either one of those things, one slip-up—one mistake could result in making Tony look bad or…worse…being taken away from Tony, and he absolutely refused to let that happen.

“May,” he whispered, “if…if you can hear me up there, please don’t let me mess this up. I don’t want to be taken away from Tony and Pepper…or make them look bad.” He closed his eyes tightly wishing more than anything that May could respond…give him some advice, but she couldn’t. However, her pearls of wisdom from the past ran through his mind.

_“We’ll be okay…”_

_“Don’t be creepy…”_

Peter chuckled at that.

_“You need to use your instincts.”_

He took a deep breath remembering the night she told him that. It was the night Ned found him in his suit when he snuck back in through his room, and they were eating Thai food together. She was telling him that she didn’t like that Tony was overworking him with the internship, and she had no clue that he was Spider-Man. Either way…it was something she always tried to tell him growing up…that he was a smart kid…and that he would always do the right thing if he went with his instincts, especially once she learned about his sixth sense. No doubt that was something she would tell him now.

_“You need to use your instincts.”_

“I will, May,” he said with a small smile. “I won’t let you, Tony, and Pepper down today, I promise. I’ll just use my instincts, like you always taught me.”

With that feeling of sadness…and confidence—he couldn’t help but wonder if that was May giving him that confidence—he stood up asking FRIDAY where Tony and Pepper were, to which the AI explained that Tony was in the kitchen while Pepper was at the press conference room making sure everything was set. Peter immediately ran to his bathroom and brushed his teeth knowing that Tony was probably making breakfast. Once he was ready, he walked out of his room and made his way into the kitchen.

Sure enough, he found Tony at the counter with various ingredients spread out in front of him. “Morning, Tony,” he said as he walked over to him.

Tony looked up and smiled at the teen. “Morning, kiddo,” he replied. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah, sure did,” Peter said smiling. “What are you doing?”

“Making some pancakes,” Tony replied. “We’ve got a big day today, and as your guardian, I want to make sure that spider belly is full. Want to help?”

“Heck yeah, I do,” Peter said happily as he walked around the counter to help. This was a little something he and Tony always tried to do together ever since he started staying over for weekends and overnights. Whether it was omelets, pancakes, or whatever breakfast food existed, they always tried to make it together when Peter stayed over. It had been a little hard to do it during the last couple of weeks when May died, but Peter could only hope they would be able to continue this little tradition of theirs.

“Alright, so, first, we got to open this box of batter,” Tony said as he opened the box of pancake batter, took out the clear bag inside, opened that, and poured it into the bowl.

“Now, we just need some eggs, right?” Peter asked.

“Just one, buddy,” Tony replied as he reached into the egg carton and took one out giving it to Peter. “Why don’t you go ahead and crack it?”

The teen nodded and did as instructed cracking the shell allowing the egg to fall onto the powder in the bowl.

“Pepper coming back up here soon?” Peter asked as he watched Tony pour some milk into a measuring cup.

“Yup, she should be back in about 20 minutes,” Tony replied. “She just needs to make sure that everything is set, and I confirmed our plans with Ms. Walker. She’s going to be here around 6:30 tonight for dinner, so we’ll have some time to goof off or if maybe you want to go patrolling, you can do that.”

Peter let out a shaky sigh as he listened to his guardian lay out the plans for today. “Okay,” he said feeling the nerves take over again.

Tony clearly caught it because he looked at Peter with concern. “You okay, buddy?” he asked wrapping an arm around Peter’s shoulders.

“Just…still a little nervous, you know?” Peter replied leaning closer into Tony’s side wrapping an arm around him. “I…don’t want to…make you and Pepper look bad.”

“Well, I got news for you, Pete,” Tony replied. “You won’t, and Pep and I will be there with you the whole time, and we’ve gone over what we’re going to say. I promise, everything will be fine. Besides, don’t sell yourself short. You’re a smart kid…a genius. So long as you know right from wrong, your instincts will never steer you wrong.”

Peter couldn’t help but widen his smile at the very familiar advice. “You got that from Aunt May?”

“Of course, I did,” Tony said. “I was her padawan when it came to taking care of you, and she was right to say that. Use your instincts, remember what we practiced, don’t overthink anything, and just be yourself. If I’m not worried, then you shouldn’t be worried.”

“Thanks, Tony,” Peter said with another smile, “and just so you know she would be proud of you too.”

“You’re welcome, kid,” Tony said with a big smile of his own, “and thank you.”

Both guardian and ward smiled at each other before turning back to their concoction on the counter in the mixing bowl. Tony poured the milk into the bowl allowing Peter to mix the ingredients together. Soon enough, the batter was mixed together and ready to be placed on the griddle, and just as Tony was about to explain to Peter what they would do next, something wet and gooey was placed on his nose.

Tony looked to his left and saw that Peter was looking right at him with batter on his fingers and a smile. “What?” he asked innocently.

“Did you just put batter…on my face?” Tony asked raising an eyebrow at the teen.

“Well, what gave you that idea?” Peter asked. “I mean, other than when I promised to get back at you when you did it to me last time?”

“You have batter on your hand…and on your face,” Tony replied.

“No, I don’t,” Peter replied furrowing his eyebrows together.

“Now, you do,” Tony said before wiping some on Peter’s left cheek.

“You’re going down, old man,” Peter said as he wiped more batter on Tony’s forehead.

“Is that a fact?” Tony asked with a straight face. “Because I think…that _you’re_ going down…”

Peter’s eyes widened slightly before he suddenly took running away from Tony prompting the billionaire to chase after him…with batter on his hand. Tony simply chased Peter all the way to the couch in the living room, and just as the teen was about to jump over the couch while somehow managing to avoid getting batter on the couch as he wrapped an arm around Peter before smearing batter all over the kid’s face.

“Ugh…Tony! You’re the worst!” Peter said laughing and smiling the entire time as he looked up at the guardian while they laid on the couch with their legs hanging over the back.

“I’d like to think I’m the best, thank you very much,” Tony retorted with a smile.

Peter rolled his eyes and was about to say something when the door to the penthouse opened causing both Tony and Peter to peer over the couch only to see that it was…Pepper and Happy walking in.

“Hey, Pepper!” Peter said happily despite the batter still all over his face. “Hey, Happy!”

“Hi, Peter,” Pepper and Happy said in unison rolling their eyes.

“Let me guess…another pancake battle?” Pepper asked as she raised an eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips smirking.

“He started it,” Tony said chuckling as he maneuvered so that he could climb over the couch to face Happy and Pepper, “and then I decided to be lenient…and join in on the fun.” He gave Pepper a look that hopefully gave a clear indication that Peter needed a little laugh.

“Sorry, Pepper, I couldn’t help myself,” Peter quickly said before Pepper could reply.

“Yeah, well, maybe you can help yourself now by kindly going to clean yourself up,” Happy said as he went over to the abandoned mixing bowl, “so that we can have some of these pancakes.”

“Happy’s right,” Pepper said. “We still have some time before you need to get ready for the press conference. Go wash your face, sweetheart, Tony you, too.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tony and Peter said in unison before Tony guided Peter back down the hall toward their bedrooms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, that’s it for CHAPTER 19, boys and girls! I really hope you all enjoyed it! Like I said, the press conference and dinner with Ms. Walker will be covered in the next chapter, so stay tuned for CHAPTER 20!! Don’t forget to read and review, and I will see you in the next chapter! Thanks, guys!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to another chapter of Raise Me Up! We are at CHAPTER 20, and strap in, folks, because this one is LONG! In this chapter, we’re finally at the press conference and the first meet-up with Peter’s social worker, and Peter tries to keep his nervousness in check. I hope you all enjoy it!

Peter opened the door just a crack as he heard people chattering about in the press conference room. From what he could see and hear, there had to be about 20 reporters standing out there…waiting for him…to know about him. The teenager breathed a shaky breath as Tony gently led him away from the door.

“Don’t look out there, buddy,” Tony said guiding him back to where they were standing with Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and Vision.

Rhodey and Vision came early that morning to support Peter, Tony, and Pepper at the press conference, and they were more than grateful to have some familiar faces supporting them behind the scenes.

“Sorry, Tony,” Peter said as they walked back over to the group. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I just—”

“No, no, you weren’t being rude,” Tony said quickly pulling him close to his side wrapping an arm around Peter. “I just don’t want to see you get more nervous.”

“Trust me, Pete,” Rhodey suddenly said. “Tony did the exact same thing when he was named CEO. All he would do was look through those doors and then throw up because he was so nervous. I’m pretty sure Obadiah lost a good pair of shoes that day.”

Peter widened his eyes slightly as he looked at Tony. It was hard to imagine someone like his guardian getting so nervous to the point of throwing up. Not only that but Tony, Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy hardly ever mentioned Tony’s former mentor, which obviously made sense. “Really?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” Rhodey replied. “Trust me, these things tend to freak me out, too. It happens.”

“But, like we talked about,” Tony said pulling Peter just a little closer to his side, “it’s all going to be fine. We’ve practiced, and all you have to do is trust your instincts and be yourself. Believe it or not, you’re pretty lovable, buddy.”

Peter smiled at Tony feeling some of the confidence return. “Thanks, Tony,” he said. “I feel better knowing you and Pepper will be with me.”

“And we won’t leave your side for a second,” Pepper confirmed with a warm smile.

Peter’s smile widened a little more. “Thanks, Pepper,” he said.

“Alright,” Pepper said taking a deep breath, “should we get this show on the road?”

Tony looked from Pepper to Peter. “We’re ready when you are, kiddo,” he said.

Peter took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart trying to remember what May told him once again.

_“You need to use your instincts…”_

He looked at Tony and Pepper again standing up straight as best as he could to show some sliver of confidence…despite the nerves. He took another deep breath and nodded. “I’m ready,” he said to them. It was now or never, and the idea of this being a short press conference put him at ease somewhat. He still worried over the possibility of making Tony and Pepper look bad on TV, but if Tony and Pepper weren’t worried, then he shouldn’t be.

Tony and Pepper both nodded with smiles on their faces. Then with Pepper in the lead and some last minute words of encouragement, they led Peter into the press conference room and walked up to the platform. Tony kept his arm around Peter and tried his best to shield him from the flashes of the cameras, and Pepper led them up to the platform and went to the podium as he and Tony stood behind her.

“Good afternoon,” Pepper said signaling the reporters to quiet down and to give her a chance to speak. “As you know, my name is Pepper Potts. I am CEO of Stark Industries and Tony Stark’s fiancée. We are here to address the recent photos that made their way to the news and to hopefully put this to rest.”

As Pepper continued to explain that Tony was going to speak next to explain the situation, Peter couldn’t help but marvel at how poised she was in the face of these vultures, as Tony put it. It was yet another example as to why Tony picked Pepper to be CEO of his company, and the fact that this was the same woman, who had been so supportive and loving to him for the past year…was pretty amazing.

“I’m going to talk next, kid,” Tony whispered to him, “and once they start asking questions, I’ll have you join me. But Pepper will stay with you until then. Don’t feel pressured to answer a question if it’s too personal, okay? Just look at me, and I’ll take over.”

“Okay,” Peter whispered in reply.

“Now, Mr. Stark will come up and say his piece,” Pepper said before turning to the billionaire signaling that it was now his turn.

Tony gave Peter one last squeeze before moving up to the podium while Pepper swiftly moved to where Peter stood wrapping an arm around him and smiling at him.

“Oh, all of this for me?” Tony said lightly putting a hand to his chest. “You shouldn’t have.” The press chuckled before he continued to speak. “Thank you all for coming. Now, let’s get down to business. Like my lovely fiancée said, we are here to clear the fog so to speak on the pictures that came out recently. Yes, my intern, my fiancée, my forehead of security, Vision Col. Rhodes, and I are in those pictures. Yes, one was taken in front of the courthouse and in Coney Island. While the Coney Island one doesn’t seem all that out of the ordinary, I’m sure the courthouse one does. The teenager in those pictures is my intern, Peter Parker. We had met a while back, and he became my intern here almost a year ago. Our families had gotten close since then, and he was the same intern who was kidnapped alongside me a few months ago. He and I had been getting close, and recently, he and his aunt—May Parker—were in a tragic accident. Unfortunately…his aunt…Mrs. Parker didn’t make it. She passed away in surgery on June 16.

“Now like I said, both Peter and I and our families had gotten close, and a few months before Mrs. Parker’s untimely death, she…named me as Peter’s guardian in her will. We agreed that should anything happen, I would gain custody of her…beloved nephew…her entire world, Peter. The picture of us at the courthouse was simply after the Guardianship hearing when the judge granted me full custody, and Coney Island was simply our way of celebrating. That’s all. Now, before we go onto questions, I would like to remind you that Peter is in fact a minor. Therefore, Pepper and I ask that you respect his privacy unless stated otherwise. That means none of _this_ happens again. Should it happen again, measures will be taken. Alright, now, we’ll have Peter come up to help answer questions. Come on, bud.”

Peter took a deep shaky breath as Pepper squeezed his shoulder once more before walking up to the podium right alongside Tony. “Uhh…hi, everyone,” he said, “I’m…I’m Peter, and…I’ll take your questions now.”

A few reporters raised their hands, and Peter quickly pushed down the overwhelming nervousness in his stomach as he picked a female reporter dressed in red.

“Hi, Peter,” she said, “I wanted to ask you, how old are you?”

That was an easy question. “Oh, I’m 15, ma’am,” Peter replied. “I’ll actually be 16 next month in August.”

The reporter smiled and nodded as she wrote down his answer. “So you’re in high school?” she asked. “What school do you go to?”

“I go to Midtown School of Science and Technology,” Peter answered with a small smile.

“And just to add to what I said,” Tony said quickly, “we also ask that you go nowhere near Peter’s school.”

“Yeah, that would be super weird,” Peter added, “so…please don’t do that.”

The reporters chuckled at Peter’s statement before raising their hands again, and Peter, feeling more confident, pointed to another reporter.

“Peter, I have to ask,” a male reporter began, “Mr. Stark said that your aunt assigned him to be your guardian, but…don’t you have any extended family, who would be willing to take care you?”

That question sort of felt like a cheap shot…both at May and Tony, but at the same time, he could understand why that was asked. Plus, Pepper and Tony warned him that they might ask this question. “Well,” he began, “I…I don’t really have any extended family. My parents died when I was little, and my aunt May and my uncle Ben—her husband and my dad’s brother—were the only family left. My uncle died over a year ago, so…no…there’s no extended family.”

Tony squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. He hated the idea of Peter being asked about it, and…thankfully, they prepared him for these questions as some people would question why Peter was placed under the care of a billionaire and superhero and not with family or the system. So far, the teen was poised and kept his cool.

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Peter,” the reporter said clearly stunned by the information.

“Thank you,” Peter said nodding, “but…even if I did have family, my aunt trusted Tony. I trust Tony, and we’re buds. We’re family. We all have been for a while. My aunt knew what she was doing. I said that to the judge, and I’m saying it now. I will keep saying that for as long as possible. Tony, Pepper, Col. Rhodes, Happy, and Vision are my family too.”

Tony stared at Peter in complete disbelief as he handled that question. Once again, the kid never ceased to amaze him.

“Thank you, Peter,” the reporter said.

“You’re welcome,” Peter said nodding and smiling.

“Another question,” Tony said. “Then maybe one or two more?”

Another reporter raised his hand, and Peter pointed to him.

“My question is actually for Ms. Potts,” the reporter said looking to the CEO.

Pepper smiled as she walked up to where Peter and Tony stood.

“How do you feel about your fiancé taking in a teenager…when you’re both engaged in to be married?” the reporter asked.

“Our engagement has nothing to do with this,” Pepper said calmly. “I’ve known Peter about the same amount of time Tony did, and I was there when Mrs. Parker asked Tony to be Peter’s guardian. I support it 100%, and we are a family. That’s what family does, and when Peter called Tony that night, there was no question. Peter was going to live with us, simple as that.” As she said that, she placed her hand on Peter’s shoulder just as Tony did.

“Well, I don’t know about you, hon,” Tony said after a moment, “but I think we can take…two more questions.”

“Of course,” Pepper replied while Peter nodded.

More reporters raised their hands, and Tony pointed to yet another reporter in the back row.

“My question is for all three of you,” the reporter began as she stood up. “I noticed that you’ve been emphasizing that Mr. Stark is Peter’s guardian, and according to New York State, guardianship usually lasts until the child in question turns 18 years of age. Given that Peter is about to turn 16, is there any chance the guardianship could become an adoption?”

Peter’s jaw dropped slightly hearing that question, and he honestly didn’t know how to answer it. It wasn’t exactly something he thought about in the past, especially now that he was in Tony’s custody. He had forgotten that legal guardianship lasted until the child turned 18 years old. Not only that, but did he want Tony and Pepper to adopt him? Would that make it more permanent…more official than a guardianship? Did Tony and Pepper hope to adopt him someday? He honestly didn’t know what to think. Not only that, but…what about his biological family…his parents, May, and Ben? What would they think about it? He wasn’t upset the reporter asked. He just…wasn’t sure. Plus, wouldn’t that be admitting that he viewed Tony as a father figure? How would Tony feel about that? And Pepper?

“Well, I think what we can say for now is that…Peter is going through a tough loss of a loved one,” Tony began trying his absolute hardest to maintain composure. “Not only that, but we just had the hearing over a week ago. We are taking things one day at a time and,” he snuck a look at Pepper, “seeing where things go. If we feel adoption is the next step, then we will discuss it when we feel ready. There’s no time limit, but if for some reason it’s not an option, to me, it doesn’t matter what New York says about guardianship. Peter is our family and has been for a while, and you don’t need paperwork to prove that. I promised his aunt I would take care of him—that Pepper and I would take care of him, and that promise has no expiration date.”

Peter felt himself relax as he listened to Tony answer the question. It wasn’t a direct yes or no, but it was definitely Tony explaining that they were going to see what the future held and that just because the guardianship would end when he would turn 18, it didn’t mean anything. They would always be a family in some way, shape, or form, and there was nothing anyone or anything could do to change that. However, that still didn’t stop him from wondering if that was what Tony and he would eventually want, and he made a mental note to ask about it later.

Pepper smiled and nodded before turning back to the press. “I think we have time for one more question,” she said signaling that the press conference was coming to an end.

Another reporter stood up and raised his hand. “I have to ask, Mr. Stark,” he began, “have you looked further into those pictures taken of you and Peter? I…mean is it possible that someone is watching you and your family? It seems odd that there’s two pictures taken of you in the span of one day.”

Peter furrowed his eyebrows together at the question. Was this reporter seriously suggesting that someone was watching them? Stalking them? He hadn’t really considered that, but now…it did seem a little odd that there are two pictures of them in one day.

“That’s not really something I’m willing to disclose to the media,” Tony said with a smile. “We will deal with it if it becomes concerning.”

“Thank you,” Pepper chimed in before leading Tony and Peter out of the press conference room as the reporters started talking at once trying to get them to answer one last question. However, Tony and Pepper refused to comply and gently ushered Peter out of the room.

“So was that good or bad?” Peter asked as soon as Happy closed the doors behind them.

“Are you kidding me?” Tony asked with a huge smile on his face as he pulled Peter into a hug. “Kid, you were fantastic! You handled that beautifully!”

“Sweetie, that was amazing!” Pepper said happily. “You were so composed, so mature, and polite. You were amazing!”

“Really?” Peter asked excitedly as he pulled away slightly from Tony to look at Pepper. “Because I feel like I was a little rude when I asked them not to come to my school, and—and I kind of got a little annoyed when that one guy asked about my extended family. I-I tried not to be, but—”

“Kid, kid,” Tony said gently placing his hands on Peter’s shoulders turning the boy around so that they were looking each other in the eye. “Relax, relax, okay?”

Once again, Tony’s grip and his smile was grounding him and bringing him back down from the adrenaline rush.

“I’m sorry,” Peter said quickly.

“No reason to apologize,” Tony replied rubbing his hands up and down Peter’s shoulders. “I’m telling you, buddy. You handled it just fine. You don’t want them to come to your school, which is valid, and you were defending your family and doing what we practiced. Trust me, you were far from rude. You were amazing, buddy.”

“Well, I had you and Pepper up there with me,” Peter said smiling. “There was no way I could’ve done that on my own.”

“Eh, debatable,” Tony said playfully, “but I’m glad we were up there with you. I know May would be proud of you…insanely proud of you.”

“How do you know?” Peter asked raising an eyebrow.

“Because we’re…Pep and I are so proud of you,” Tony said as he gently pulled Peter back into his arms hugging him tightly.

Peter of course returned the gesture hugging his guardian and burying his face in Tony’s shoulder breathing in his cologne. “Thank you, Tony,” he said shakily. He still wanted to ask about the question regarding adoption, but for now, he was just thrilled that Tony and Pepper were proud of him and how he did in the press conference. His smile widened as he felt Pepper ran a hand through his hair, and he wasted no time in pulling her into the group hug as well.

After a moment, the three of them pulled away and found Rhodey, Vision, and Happy watching the moment close by and smiling at them.

“Kid, you are on your way,” Rhodey said as he walked over before Peter could apologize for forgetting to include them or to acknowledge them. “You handled that like a pro.”

“Thanks, Rhodey,” Peter replied as he and the colonel shared a fist-bump.

“Agreed,” Vision said smiling in approval. “You performed exceptionally well, Peter.”

“Thank you, Vision,” Peter replied shaking hands with the android.

“I already knew you were going to do fine,” Happy said with a smile as he patted Peter’s shoulder and shook his head. “Great job, kid.”

“Thanks, Happy,” Peter said.

“Alright,” Tony said, “I don’t know about you four,” he referred to the four adults, “but I know this kid is probably starving, so how about we go back up and order some sandwiches for lunch?”

Everyone agreed with no hesitation.

* * *

After the anxiety and adrenaline that came with the press conference, Peter welcomed lunch with his family with open arms. Tony briefly turned the news on to see if the media was in fact covering the press conference, and sure enough, they didn’t waste anytime in doing so. They even talked about how Tony, Pepper, and Peter were asked about the possibility of adoption and when Tony was asked about the pictures being from someone possibly watching their family…the two questions that sort of threw Peter off. Tony didn’t say anything in front of everyone, but Peter made a note to ask as soon as they were alone.

About an hour after lunch, Rhodey and Vision said their goodbyes before heading back to the Compound promising to see them sometime before Peter’s birthday. Happy left around the same time to go back to his post, and Pepper had some phone calls to make. So, she went back down to her office, but not before sharing a look with Tony. That was something Peter tended to notice now that he was living with Tony and Pepper. Whenever they wanted to talk about something that he wasn’t supposed to hear, they would just look at each other and somehow had a whole conversation in about seconds. It wasn’t annoying, just very interesting. Nevertheless, she promised to come back before Ms. Walker would come at 6:30 leaving Tony and Peter in the penthouse.

“Well, we got some time to ourselves,” Tony said to him with a smile. “How about we get out of these monkey suits and head down to the lab?”

Peter smiled and nodded. “I could really use that right now,” he said.

* * *

“Hey…uh…Tony?” Peter asked as they continued to work on the nanotechnology project.

“Yeah, Pete?” the billionaire replied looking up from what they were working on.

“C-Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, you can.”

“Umm…w-what that one reporter asked about…the…you know…” he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, “adoption…Umm…I w-was…well, first, I was a little caught off guard. It’s not that…I mean…well…I’m not—”

“Slow down, slow down,” Tony asked as he put his supplies down making sure his eyes were on Peter. “Take it easy, it’s just us. Now, before you ask me anything, I want to hear what you think about adoption.”

“Uhh...well…uhh…” Peter began before taking a deep breath, “I mean…to be honest, I haven’t thought much about it, you know? I mean…to be honest, I haven’t thought much about it, you know? I mean…May did just die, and then we had the wake and funeral and then the hearing just last week. And other than the press conference and Ms. Walker, after the hearing and moving May’s things out of Queens, I…I guess I thought things were finally starting to settle down, you know? And it…it’s not like I never want it to happen. I guess…I-I’m not sure, you know, if…now’s the right time to…think about it, and…I know that makes me sound awful—”

“Peter, it doesn’t make you sound awful at all,” Tony said taking the teen’s hands into his. “It makes you sound human. I meant what I said during the press conference, and Pepper and I wholeheartedly agree with you.”

“Really?” Peter asked furrowing his eyebrows together.

“Oh, yeah, kid, you just lost May a few weeks ago,” Tony replied, “and you were put through the ringer with the wake, the funeral, and the hearing on top of all that. Not to mention, Pepper and I are going through this along with you. We know how fast it all changed for you because it did for us, and please, don’t take that as we don’t want you. We talked about that, but what I’m saying is what I said at the press conference: we’re going to take our time to adjust to things and see where things go. So, if we want to go down the route to adoption, great, we’ll discuss it. If not, that’s fine, too.”

Peter felt as if the weight had been lifted off his shoulders hearing Tony reiterate what he said. Not that he thought Tony would lie, but it was nice to see that his guardian and his fiancée were in the same boat as he was. His guardian was in fact right. Even though it felt longer, everything between May dying and the hearing happened within the span of a few weeks. All three of them needed time…time to adjust as a family, and they would get there at their own pace and see what happened. However, that was when he remembered…the difference between a guardianship…and adoption.

“But...what about what the reporter said…how guardianship lasts until the child turns 18?” Peter asked.

“Doesn’t matter,” Tony said. “Like I said, my promise to May and you…my role has no expiration date. We’re family no matter what. Paperwork be damned. We’ll always be family, and Pepper and I will take care of you always…until we’re old and gray.”

Peter smiled with tears in his eyes. It was easier to get emotional when it was a quiet family moment and not during a press conference, and he quickly walked around the workbench wrapping his arms around Tony, who quickly returned the gesture. “Thank you, Tony,” he whispered.

Tony smiled as he carded his hand through Peter’s hair. “You’re welcome, kid,” he said. “Everything will fall into place. We just need to take it one day at a time, and we’ll get there. We are getting there.”

“We just…still have more to go,” Peter said looking up at him.

“Exactly,” Tony replied.

They held onto each other for just another moment longer before pulling away smiling. However, there was still one more thing on Peter’s mind.

“Umm…so…what about what the other reporter said…about the pictures…?”

“Well, not much has happened since then,” Tony began, “and as much as I would love to punch the asshole in the face for taking them, there’s not much we can do, but Pep and I talked about it. We agreed that if it happens again, then we’d look further into it, okay?” He hated the idea of not finding the man responsible, but it made the most sense, especially when they had a teenager to take care of. All the person did was take pictures, and so long as it didn’t happen again or lead to anything harmful to Pepper or Peter, perhaps, it was a one-time occurrence. “But we will be keeping an eye out.”

Peter nodded. “Okay, that’s fair,” he said.

* * *

After spending some more time in the lab, Tony and Peter had to pull away from the project when Pepper asked FRIDAY to inform them that it was time to get ready for dinner with the social worker. Thankfully, it was not like the press conference where Peter dressed in a suit. He went for a button-down shirt and khaki pants, while Tony decided to wear a suit. The three of them worked together to make sure everything was in order: no mess, no sign of Spider-Man was in the penthouse. Wanting to continue to make a good impression, they prepared for dinner just before Ms. Walker arrived. Tony and Pepper worked together to make pasta with sauce and salad on the side while Peter set the table.

“Boss, Ms. Potts, Happy wished for me to inform you all that he is on his way up with Ms. Walker,” FRIDAY announced at 6:30…just as they finished putting food on the table.

“Thanks, FRIDAY,” Tony said as he placed food on the table. “Okay, we ready?”

“A little nervous,” Peter said taking a deep breath.

“It’s going to be fine, sweetie,” Pepper said placing a hand on his shoulder. “You can do it.”

“We’re right here with you, buddy,” Tony said with a smile of his own.

Peter quickly smiled in return and nodded. “Okay,” he said. If he could survive the press conference, then he could survive dinner with the social worker.

* * *

“Well, Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts, this is just delicious,” Ms. Walker said as she took a sip of water.

“We’re glad you like it,” Pepper said with a smiles. “It’s actually Tony’s mother’s recipe.”

Tony chuckled. “There’s no denial,” he replied. “Mom was an immaculate cook. Italian food is my specialty. Breakfast not so much.”

“What?” Peter suddenly interjected. “Come on, Tony, you’re improving in the breakfast department.” That earned some chuckled from the three adults, which made Peter blush slightly.

“I take it that Mr. Stark is learning how to make breakfast,” Ms. Walker inquired looking at Peter.

“Slowly but surely,” Peter said careful not to make Tony look bad. “There was one time not long after we first met where he let me stay over for the weekend, so that my aunt could go to a convention for work. So, that Saturday morning, he wanted to surprise me with breakfast, but…uhh…he ended up burning it. FRIDAY woke me up, and I ran into the kitchen. He burned fried eggs, so…we ended up having to go out instead.”

“Really? And where did you two end up going?” Ms. Walker asked.

“We went to this diner I know in Queens,” Peter replied. “Aunt May wasn’t the greatest of cooks either, so I picked the diner she used to take me to whenever she burned breakfast.” He suddenly felt the grief wash over him remembering all those times May burned food in the kitchen to the point where they had no choice but to go out to eat.

Tony saw how the teen got quiet when mentioning his aunt, and after looking at Pepper, he took Peter’s hand into his giving him a squeeze.

“You must miss her a lot, huh?” Ms. Walker asked.

Peter nodded. “And please, don’t get me wrong, Ms. Walker,” he said. “ I love being here with Tony and Pepper, really. I just still miss my aunt, you know?”

“Of course, I understand,” Ms. Walker said nodding. “Believe me, I felt the same when my parents died. I was like you in fact. My parents died when I was about your age, and I went to live with my aunt and uncle and their children—my cousins. Let me tell you, they welcomed me with open arms, treated me like I was their daughter, and I’ve always been so grateful. At the same time, I missed my mom and dad like crazy, and my aunt always told me that it was okay to miss them and that grief had nothing to do with maturity or appreciation.”

"Tony said that, too,” Peter said looking at his guardian before looking back at the social worker.

“So, it must be true, right?” Tony asked raising his eyebrows.

Peter rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah,” he said earning a chuckle from the adults again.

* * *

While Tony and Pepper cleaned up from dinner, Ms. Walker asked to see Peter’s room and to talk to him privately. Peter of course was nervous, but he once again reminded himself that if he could handle the press conference, he could handle talking to the social worker. Besides, other than Spider-Man, there was nothing to hide, so there was no logical reason to be nervous. He just needed to be himself and follow his instincts.

“So, Mr. Stark had all of this moved from your old apartment?” Ms. Walker said looking around his bedroom.

“Yeah,” Peter chuckled. “The double bed was here already, but everything else, he put it all in here and surprised me after my last day of school. He said this room had been mine for a while, and the furniture made it more official.”

“Well, that was very generous,” Ms. Walker stated.

“Yeah, that’s just who Tony is,” Peter said. “Give him an inch, and he goes a whole mile. That’s what Pepper usually says.”

The social worker nodded. “So, now that we’re alone, I wanted to ask you how things had been going,” she said as she sat in Peter’s desk chair.

“Honestly, grieving wise,” Peter said as he sat down on the bed across from her, “it’s been up and down. You know, it was hard with the wake and the funeral, and after that, one minute, I’d be fine and then…I remember…and it hurts. I haven’t even asked Tony or Pepper to take me to the cemetery yet.”

“And that’s perfectly fine, Peter,” Ms. Walker said. “I’m sure they’ve told you that everything takes time, and you’ve had a crazy few weeks.”

Peter nodded. The social worker was right. Like he and Tony said, the past few weeks had been crazy. He wasn’t ready to visit the cemetery, but eventually he would be.

“How about Tony and Pepper?” Ms. Walker asked. “How are things going with them?”

Peter smiled. “It’s…it’s been great, so great,” he began. “I-I’m grateful for everything they’re doing for me. Tony…and Pepper…they’ve let me call the shots about the press conference. They’ve let me cry when I’ve felt sad, especially Tony. They really care about me. I mean, not that they didn’t before, but they’ve been just amazing. I really feel like I’m at home here with them, and I know my aunt knew what she was doing when she asked Tony to be my guardian.”

Ms. Walker nodded. “That’s good,” she said. “I’m really glad to hear that, and I have to say…you handled yourself very well during the press conference.”

“Thanks, Ms. Walker,” Peter said, “so…I guess you heard those questions about adoption and the pictures.”

“I did,” she replied nodding. “Have you talked about it with Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts?”

“Yeah, I talked about it with Tony,” Peter replied, “and I told him that…with everything, I just want things to settle down first, you know? And it’s not that I’m totally against it, it’s just…I don’t think this is the right time to…think about it, and Tony agreed. He said that we all need time to adjust to things and that we’re just going to see what happens…and that no matter what, we’ll always be family.”

“And he’s right,” Ms. Walker said. “Legal guardianship ends at 18, but…it’ll never change anything in regards to family. And what about the pictures?”

“Tony said that we’ll just keep an eye out if anything else happens,” Peter replied simply.

“Okay,” Ms. Walker said, “well, I still have to talk to Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts, but from what I can see and what you’re telling me, I think things are looking good. Would you mind waiting in here while I speak to them?”

“Sure, Ms. Walker,” Peter replied nodding.

* * *

“Peter is quite the young man,” Ms. Walker said as she sat with Tony and Pepper at the dinner table with a cup of steaming hot coffee.

“Believe me, you’re not telling us anything new,” Pepper said as she took a sip of her coffee.

“He’s amazed me since Day 1,” Tony said earning a chuckle from the two women.

“So, how have things been going?” Ms. Walker asked after sipping her coffee.

“It’s good,” Tony replied. “I mean, the past couple of weeks have been…busy to say the least, but Peter’s been hanging in there. He’s had about one nightmare, and he’s trying to process and adjust to everything.”

“And we’re getting him there,” Pepper interjected.

“And how have you two been doing?” Ms. Walker asked.

“Honestly, it’s been good,” Tony replied. “We’ve been trying to help him as best as we can, and we love having him here. I mean we saw each other once a week—Peter and I, so to have him here all the time…it brightens things up.”

“I really feel like we’re coming into a routine,” Pepper said. “Tony and I have been adjusting to that routine, but I feel like we’re really clicking.”

“And we have great support,” Tony added. “We have Col. Rhodes, Happy, and Vision, and on top of that, Peter’s best friends and their parents agreed to help if we need anything.”

“That’s great to hear,” Ms. Walker said, “and I feel the press conference went as well as expected.”

“The kid knocked it out of the park,” Tony said practically beaming with pride at how well Peter handled it. “He was cordial, polite, and endearing as always. I think they loved him, not that I doubted that. How could you not?”

“We’re very proud of him,” Pepper added with a huge smile of her own, “and even though the adoption question came completely out of left field, he handled it very well.”

“Yes, he and I actually spoke about that,” Ms. Walker said nodding. “He said that you spoke to him about it, Mr. Stark.”

“We did,” Tony replied. “and we agreed that now wouldn’t be the right time for that and that we just need to focus on the new normal for now.”

“I think that’s very smart,” Ms. Walker replied. “It would be a big change, especially in regards to changing his name and where he feels his biological family falls into this. However, if you all ever do feel you’re ready for that, don’t hesitate to let me and the lawyers know.”

“Thank you, Ms. Walker,” Pepper replied.

“Well, it appears that things are going well,” Ms. Walker said. “I will be sure to put all this in my report, and we can pick a time for next month?”

Tony and Pepper smiled and looked at each other and back at Ms. Walker.

“That…That…yes, Ms. Walker,” Tony said happily as they stood up from the table, “thank you.”

“Really, thank you,” Pepper said as they each shook hands with the social worker. “Thank you so much.”

“My pleasure,” Ms. Walker replied. “I’ll see you all in a month.”

“Yes, definitely,” Pepper replied.

“I’ll go grab Peter,” Tony said as he walked over to the teen’s room.

* * *

Peter felt his heart pounding as they said goodbye to the social worker while Happy escorted her down to the lobby. When Tony came to get him to come say goodbye, his guardian didn’t say anything about what the social worker had to say, and when he asked, Tony simply said that they would talk about Ms. Walker left. He fiddled with his hands as Tony and Pepper closed the door and looked at him with smiles.

“Did she…did she say anything to you guys?” Peter asked. “I mean…I thought it went okay, but what did she say?”

Tony’s smile widened as he wrapped his arm around Peter’s shoulder. “She said everything looks good, kid,” he said. “She’s going to write us a good report and see us in a month.”

Peter sighed in absolute relief as he pulled Tony and Pepper into a group hug. “Oh, thank God,” he said. “I was so nervous.”

“And what did we tell you?” Tony asked. “Everything was going to be okay, kid. It will continue to be okay.”

Peter smiled and sighed in relief yet again. For the first time all day and maybe even in a few weeks, he felt himself relax. If he could get through a press conference and dinner with a social worker, he could do anything so long as he had Tony and Pepper with him and his biological parents, Ben, and May watching over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd that’s all for now, boys and girls! Wow, that was super long, but I hope you all enjoyed it! Stay tuned for CHAPTER 21 because there is a surprise in there you’re not going to want to miss. Don’t forget to read and review, thanks, guys! See you in the next chapter!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to Raise Me Up! We are at CHAPTER 21, boys and girls, and I know that I said this in the last chapter. But strap in because you guys are going to see a certain someone make a surprise entrance. As for who it is, you’ll have to read to find out.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It had been exactly one week since the press conference, and aside from the news talking about it and social media spreading all over the place, things had started to settle down for Tony, Pepper, and Peter. After the dinner with Ms. Walker, the three of them enjoyed some quiet time together as a family, which was exactly what they wanted. No one brought up adoption, and they didn’t feel the need to. Like Tony said, now was the time to adjust to the new normal. They were looking forward to another quiet weekend that one Friday night…when Peter was suddenly roused from his deep sleep.

He hadn’t had a nightmare since the one after the funeral, so it wasn’t that. He could’ve sworn he heard something outside his room. The teen furrowed his eyebrows together as he sat up in bed using his sensitive hearing to figure out what was going on. He heard heartbeats—obviously Tony’s, Pepper’s, and his own…and then a fourth one. His stomach dropped as he quickly stood up and grabbed his webshooters from where he put them after his patrol that night.

“FRIDAY, what’s going on? Is someone here?” he whispered to the AI as he put his webshooters on.

There was no answer, and Peter’s heart pounded.

“FRIDAY? Can you hear me?” Peter asked again.

When there was no answer again, Peter began to worry even more. Tony would never turn FRIDAY off at night and not tell him, but why would she not respond? The teen looked at his clock and saw that it was 2:30 AM, which confused him even more, so he tried to keep his breathing under control as best as he could before deciding to investigate. With any luck, he was probably hearing things, and then he could just go back to bed. He slowly crept toward his bedroom door and opened it. The hallway was still dark, and the door to Tony and Pepper’s bedroom was still closed. He could still hear both their heartbeats indicating that they were sleeping soundly. It relieved him at first but quickly made him more nervous. If they were still sleeping…why was FRIDAY not responding? Whose heartbeat was he also hearing?

With his webshooters fastened to his wrists, he crept into the hallway listening for movement, and he could hear faint movement coming from the kitchen…and the other heartbeat. He decided to go look for the source of the noise, and he prayed that it was only Happy looking for a late-night snack or perhaps May messing with him from the afterlife. As soon as he came into the living room and the kitchen, he could see that…there was no one around. It was completely empty, and he became even more confused as he walked further into the kitchen. However, just as he did that, his spider senses flared before a large hand came up from behind and covered his mouth while another arm wrapped around him restraining his arms.

Peter immediately struggled and tried to scream as loud as he could, but his screams were muffled as he tried to call for Tony and Pepper. The hand clamped down on his mouth as he struggled to cry out.

“Relax, kid,” the stranger said from behind Peter, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

The teen immediately recognized his voice…from PSAs at school and from their brief encounter in Germany. However, during their encounter, he was dressed as a certain vigilante fighting this stranger…who was on the run. Besides, he muffled him. However, with quickly thinking and cat-like reflexes, Peter kicked over the table as hard as he could, knocking it over to the floor.

* * *

The loud crash jolted both Pepper and Tony out of a deep sleep as they shot up in bed.

“What the hell?” Tony asked aloud. “FRIDAY, what’s going on?”

There was no answer from the AI.

“FRIDAY?” Tony tried again.

When there was no answer yet again, Tony and Pepper quickly jumped out of bed as Tony grabbed his watch and put it on activating the gauntlet with Pepper close behind. The billionaire and the CEO ran out only to see a figure with a certain teen struggling in the figure’s arms.

“PETER!” Tony shouted before he ran over to the figure with his gauntlet. “Let him go! Let him go NOW!” However, he froze when he saw who the masked figure was…and anger surged through his body as he glared at Steve Rogers, while he still held onto Peter.

“Tony, relax…” Steve said holding a hand out to calm him down.

“How can I relax when you’re holding the kid like that?” Tony asked. “Let him go…before I blow head off.”

Steve nodded as he slowly released Peter from his grip.

Peter didn’t spare Captain America another glance as he quickly ran to Tony, who pulled him into his arms hugging him tightly.

“You okay, buddy?” Tony asked as he pulled away to look at Peter to make sure he wasn’t injured.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay,” Peter replied nodding.

Tony nodded before quickly and gently pushing Peter toward Pepper, who gently took Peter into her arms.

“What do you want, Rogers?” Pepper asked Steve coldly. “Haven’t you done enough already?”

“Pepper, I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Steve said removing his mask.

“Oh, sure, then what do you call holding Peter like that?” Tony asked. “Giving him a bear hug? You gave me a phone to call you, remember? Not that I would use it.”

“That’s why I came here,” Steve said. “I needed to talk to you in person, and…I had a feeling that you wouldn’t have picked up if I called.”

“Gee, wonder why,” Tony said angrily careful not to bring up Siberia…not now in front of Peter.

“Tony, please…hear me out,” Steve said pleadingly. “Hear me out, and then I’ll leave.”

Tony sighed. As angry as he was…and hurt over Steve’s actions with the Accords, the Winter Soldier, and Siberia, Tony knew that he obviously came with a reason. Steve wouldn’t risk being caught unless he absolutely had to, and with a quick look over his shoulder at his fiancée and charge, he sighed again.

“Pep, why don’t you take Peter back to his room and wait for me?” he finally said.

Pepper stared at him with concern all over her face. After what happened last year with the Accords and Siberia, she had completely lost her respect for Steve Rogers, Wanda, Sam, and Clint Barton. They had completely turned against Tony and Rhodey, and Natasha Romanoff wasn’t too far behind. She had a feeling once Tony proposed changing the Accords that there was a chance for Tony and maybe even Peter to get roped into whatever it was the Rogue Avengers were up to. “Are you sure?” she asked still holding Peter tightly.

“Yeah, it’ll be quick, I promise,” Tony said with a smile.

“Tony…” Peter said taking a step forward.

“It’s okay, kid,” Tony said holding his hand up. “Go with Pepper. I’ll be right there, I promise.”

“Come on, sweetie,” Pepper interjected before Peter had any chance to protest as she directed him back toward the bedrooms.

Tony watched as…his family went back down the hall with both Pepper and Peter looking over their shoulders to quickly reassure themselves that Tony was still safe.

“I saw the press conference,” Steve said after a moment as soon as he heard Peter’s bedroom door close. “I didn’t know you had an intern. He seems like a good kid.”

“Yeah, he’s one of the best,” Tony said crossing his arms. “You going to tell me why you’re here?”

Steve sighed. “I had been looking into some intel while on the run,” he began. “I…uh…heard you and Rhodes proposed changing the Accords to Ross.”

“Not because I forgive you if that’s what you’re thinking,” Tony snapped. “I don’t know about you, Cap, but I would like to try to get things back on track and to make sure…that futures are set.” If he could fix the Accords now so that Peter wouldn’t be affected by it, that would be one of his biggest accomplishments along with getting the Avengers back on the world’s good side again. “Besides, I don’t even know if he will even go for it.”

“That’s the thing, Tony,” Steve said. “From what I’ve gathered, Ross is trying to dig up evidence on you.”

Tony furrowed his eyebrows together. “What are you talking about?”

“He believes you know where we’re all hiding, and he’s going to try to prove it. He’ll try to use it to turn people against you and to get to us.”

“Oh, so, that’s why you wanted to warn me,” Tony said with sarcasm dripping in his voice. “You just want to find out if I know enough to rat you out. Well, good news for you…and I guess for me, too, I got nothing to hide. All I’ve been trying to do is help the kid get through the grief over losing his last living relative and to enjoy life with my family.”

The former Avenger sighed. “Tony, I’m worried about you and your family, too, believe it or not,” he said. “I wouldn’t have left that phone or come all the way if I didn’t.”

Tony wanted to believe it. He did, but after what he found out in Siberia, he wasn’t sure if he could trust Steve in any way possible…not when he kept such a huge secret about his parents’ deaths from him. He sighed again. “Look, you came and warned me,” he said after a moment of silence, “but if Ross does come after me, I got nothing to hide. I don’t know where any of you are, so…you can show yourself out. In the meantime, I have a family to get back to and an AI to fix.”

With that said, Tony barely glanced at his former teammate as he walked toward his office to get FRIDAY back online.

* * *

Thankfully, it didn’t take Tony long to get FRIDAY back online. Whatever Steve did was a simple fix, so he was able to fix it before going to Peter’s room, where he found Pepper and Peter sitting on the bed clearly waiting for him. As soon as he opened the door, Peter immediately rushed up and hugged Tony tightly.

“You okay, Tony?” Peter asked as he buried his face in Tony’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, buddy, I’m fine,” Tony said hugging Peter in return.

“Are you sure, hon?” Pepper asked as she walked up to them.

Tony wasted no time in pulling his fiancée into the hug as well feeling the pounding of his heart slowing down as he hugged his family “I’m sure,” he said. “Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine,” Pepper replied as she pulled away to look him in the eye. “Just worried about you.”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Tony said. “I’m fine. Now,” he pulled away slightly to look at Peter, “are _you_ sure you’re okay? Did he hurt you at all?”

“No, really, he didn’t,” Peter replied shaking his head. “He just scared me when he grabbed me. I just don’t get why he did that though…I mean…that doesn’t seem like something Captain America would do, but I guess, it was…a way for him to get you to talk to him. But what did he talk to you about?”

Tony sighed. A part of him considered if it would be best to just push this conversation aside for another time…to just not talk about it with Peter and Pepper, but…deep down, he knew he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t not tell them about Ross looking to dig up dirt, but that wasn’t fair. They were a family. They deserved to know.

“Okay, sit down,” he said gently guided Pepper and Peter to sit on the bed.

Peter and Pepper did as Tony asked and sat down on Peter’s bed while Tony sat right across them in Peter’s desk chair. The billionaire sighed as he ran a hand down his face and leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees.

“According to Rogers,” Tony began after a brief moment of silence, “there’s word going around that Ross believes that I know where the Rogues are and…that he may want to question me.”

“What?” Pepper and Peter asked in unison.

“Yeah,” Tony said scratching the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure what else he could possibly do in that moment.

“Well, when? Where?” Pepper asked quickly.

“He didn’t really get into details,” Tony replied. “He just told me what I told you.”

“Do you believe him?” Peter asked after a moment of silence.

Tony could only sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “I…I’m not entirely sure, buddy,” he said. “I mean, I can’t think of any reason why he would lie about it, and I know he was the same guy, who left in Siberia after…” He stopped when he realized that he hadn’t exactly filled Peter in on the details as to what occurred between him, Steve, and the Winter Soldier in Siberia, but then he sighed deciding that was a conversation for another time.

Pepper sensed what he was avoiding talking about as she reached forward and took his hand into hers squeezing it gently and silently reminding him that he didn’t have to talk about Siberia if he didn’t want to…not now.

“But you don’t know where they are, right?” Peter asked after a moment trying to change the subject as best as he could.

“Not a clue, bud,” Tony said firmly. “All I know is when FRIDAY asks me to disable security footage, but even then, I have no clue where they are. I only know Hawkeye and Ant-Man are both under house arrest.”

“Well, okay,” Peter said completely relieved, “that’s good then. If Ross questions you, surely, he could see that you don’t and back off.” He didn’t know Secretary Ross at all. He only knew of him from the news, from what Tony had told him, and from the video call he had with Tony and Rhodey on the 4th. Sure, he didn’t seem like the nicest guy, but…surely someone in Ross’ position could see that Tony didn’t know about the Rogues and leave him alone.

Tony sighed. “I…I’m not sure, to be honest, kid,” he said. “If what Steve said is true, this…could be Ross’ way to…one up me in terms of changing the Accords.”

“One up you?”

“Yeah…try to get me to back off or look for a reason to show that Rhodey and I don’t have the best intentions, but we don’t know that for sure, Pete.”

“But it’s a possibility,” Pepper added running a hand through Peter’s hair.

Peter sighed. “May always said that politicians were nothing but people who want power,” he said, “and that they tend to use us to get there.”

“Unfortunately, sometimes, that’s the case,” Tony said nodding, “but you’re right. I have nothing to hide, and so long as I prove that Ross would have nothing on me.”

Peter nodded. “But y-you’ll tell us…if you need help, right?” he asked. As much as he believed that Tony could handle this, he still wanted to help his guardian…to show that he wasn’t alone in this.

Tony smiled. “Absolutely,” he said, “but, bud, I need you to trust me to do just that. That means no stupid moves with Ross, okay? We can’t give him a reason to go after Spider-Man as well. Just keep doing your thing, and if I need you, I will tell you, okay?”

Pepper and Tony looked at him clearly waiting for him to answer, and Peter knew what the answer was. As much as he wanted to protect his guardian, he knew that Tony was right. When it came to Ross, he shouldn’t mess around and should be ready if Tony needed him. “Okay,” he finally said nodding.

“Good,” Tony said smiling as he ruffled Peter’s hair. “Now that that’s settled, we should get some sleep. I can talk to Rhodey in the morning.”

* * *

“Are you kidding?” Rhodey asked over the phone. “Steve was at the penthouse last night? Why didn’t you call me?”

“I know I should’ve, I’m sorry,” Tony said as he paced around his office the next morning. “In my defense, though, it was a little hard to think straight when Captain America was manhandling my kid.” Keeping his phone in between his shoulder and his ear, he rubbed his left hand. Even though Steve was a former friend of his, that didn’t help the thoughts of said former friend harming his kid…the same kid he was supposed to protect and take care of.

“Wait…did you seriously call Peter your kid?” Rhodey asked incredulously.

Tony stopped when he realized that he in fact did, and he couldn’t help but smile at the label “his kid” for Peter. He had been wondering what he could refer to Peter as, and “his kid” felt right…like it just fit so well. Peter was his and Pepper’s kid, and he was Peter’s guardian. That was all, right? However, he shook the thoughts from his head as now was not the time. “I did,” he said quickly, “but not the point right now.”

“Right, right, sorry, man,” Rhodey said. “Anyway, you’re lucky it was just Steve and not the whole gang. Why did he manhandle Peter?”

Tony sighed. “I think it’s because he thought that would get my attention,” he replied. “Peter woke up to noise Steve made and went to investigate. That was when Rogers grabbed him, and then Peter kicked the table to wake Pepper and me.”

“Smart kid,” Rhodey mused.

“Damn straight,” Tony replied with a smile. Peter was a genius, and yes, there had been times when he needed Tony’s help. However, everyone needed help at some point. When faced with a problem, he knew how to use that big brain of his to solve it.

“How are Peter and Pepper doing?” Rhodey asked.

“They’re both okay,” Tony replied. “Peter’s still sleeping, and Pepper is running some errands with Happy.” Tony looked at the clock on his desk and saw that it was 11:00 AM, so he made a mental note to check on Peter after his talk with Rhodey.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, “so what exactly did Steve want to talk about?”

“He’s been gathering some intel behind the scenes,” Tony replied. “He found that Ross thinks that I may know where the Rogues are and may want to question me.”

“Really?” Rhodey asked. “And do you?”

“Of course not,” Tony replied, “which is why I’m not worried. If he sees I have nothing to hide, he’ll have nothing on me and can’t use it against the Accords.”

“Are you sure about this, Tones?’ Rhodey asked. “There’s that phone he left you when he went on the run.”

At that thought, Tony opened his desk drawer and found a small black flip phone…the same phone Steve had given him when he and the other Rogues went on the run. It was his attempt at apologizing and letting Tony know that he was there if needed. Despite his anger and his hurt, Tony kept it because…it was always good to have some sort of back-up on hand. “That proves nothing, Rhodey,” Tony said. “Just that I have means to contact him…not that I know where he is.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Rhodey replied. “Look if Ross does ask you any questions, you come to me, okay? I can help you prepare for any questions he might ask.”

Tony smiled. “I will,” he said. “Thanks, honeybear.”

“You’re welcome, Tones,” Rhodey replied. “Now, go back to your kid. It’s Saturday during summer vacation. Take him somewhere.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “I will,” he said smiling. The idea of taking Peter out didn’t seem like such a bad idea. “I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime, we should start thinking about the Accords.”

“We will, buddy,” Rhodey replied, “but for now, just enjoy your time with my nephew.”

Tony scoffed and shook his head, and as they said their goodbyes, he couldn’t stop the smile on his face at the thought of spending time with Peter…his kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnnnnd that’s all for now, boys and girls! I hope you all enjoyed it! We shall see in CHAPTER 22 whether or not Steve’s warnings have merit to them! Don’t forget to read and review! Thanks, guys! See you in the next chapter!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to Raise Me Up! Sorry for the long wait, life’s been pretty busy, and I hit a little writer’s block. BUT I am back with CHAPTER 22! Strap in, friends! Because we got some fluff and a little of suspense!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

After texting Pepper that he was going to take Peter out, Tony went into…his kid’s room and found him still asleep in his bed, and the billionaire shook his head and smiled at the sight. He then walked over and gently shook Peter’s shoulder to wake him up, and he watched as Peter slowly opened his eyes and looked up at his guardian.

“Oh hey, Tony, what’s up?” he asked groggily.

“I was working in my office,” Tony said sitting on the edge of his bed, “and I thought I’d come wake you up to see if maybe you wanted to get out of the tower today…just us guys.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’d like that,” Peter said turning onto his back. “Pepper busy today?” It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with Tony without Pepper. It was just for a while unless Pepper was working, she would often join in on the fun. It would be nice to get out there with Tony for a guys’ day so to speak.

“Yeah, she’s got some things to take care of,” Tony replied, “so it’s just you and me.” The billionaire couldn’t help but smile even more at the fact that Pepper had taken such an active role in Peter’s life since May died. They were to be married at some point, so it made sense for her to be involved in their kid’s life.

“Awesome,” Peter said.

“Great, why don’t you get dressed?” Tony suggested as he stood. “We can grab a bite at our favorite diner in Queens and talk about what we can do. Sounds good?”

“Yeah, sounds great, Tony,” Peter said smiling as he propped himself on one of his elbows smiling at his guardian.

Tony smiled and ruffled Peter’s hair. “Great, kid,” he said before standing up. “I’ll leave you to get dressed and meet you in the living room, buddy.”

Peter smiled and nodded as he watched Tony walk out and give him some privacy, and as soon as he was alone, he immediately hopped out of bed and got dressed. As frightening as it was to deal with what happened with Steve Rogers and the news that Ross possibly wanted to talk to his guardian, he was thrilled to get to spend time with Tony. This way he could protect him just in case something was to happen, and he was able to see that Steve being there messed with Tony a little. It made sense given what happened in Germany with the Accords, and from what Tony and Steve said and how they acted, they definitely didn’t part on good terms. He could try to take Tony’s mind off it for a few hours.

As soon as he was dressed and showered, Peter practically ran out of his room and headed into the living room to meet up with Tony.

* * *

The drive to Queens was fairly quick as there was very little traffic on Saturday. As promised, Tony took Peter to the very same diner, where he and May always went for breakfast and where Tony took Peter for breakfast after he burned the eggs…the very first time Peter stayed over. Even though the press conference was merely a week ago, Tony and Peter felt very relaxed being in public together. After deciding to go to the public and tell the truth regarding May’s death and the current living situation, Peter was somewhat worried that the media would be more tempted to dig up dirt, but since then, he realized that they took Tony and Pepper’s requests seriously and left them done. They had nothing to hide, and the press backed off.

The teen was grateful for that as that meant he and his guardian could enjoy a quiet day together.

“Were you able to get some sleep, buddy, after…?” Tony asked trailing off as they sat at the table waiting for their food to come.

Peter nodded. “Yeah, it…took a little while,” Peter replied, “but I actually ended up falling back to sleep knowing that you and Pepper were okay.”

“Trust me, waking up to seeing you being manhandled by…you-know-who wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight,” Tony replied as he gently took Peter’s hand into his. “I’m glad that’s all it was.”

“Me too,” Peter replied nodding. “I mean…I know you know him, Tony, but…I hated the idea of leaving you alone with him.”

 _“This kid…my kid…”_ the billionaire thought to himself as he squeezed Peter’s hand just a little tighter. “I know, bud,” he said aloud after a moment, “but you did the right thing calling Pep and me for help, trust me. I know you want to help, but let me handle things like this first. If I need you, I promise I will ask you, okay?”

“You really promise?”

“Really, really promise, buddy,” Tony said with a smile, “and I even told Rhodey. So, if anything like that happens again, we can ask him and Vision for help.”

Peter nodded feeling more relieved that his guardian went to his best friend and told him what happened. “What did he say about Ross wanting to…maybe question you?” he asked.

“He said he hadn’t heard anything from the man or anyone in D.C.,” Tony replied, “but he said that he would help me prepare for whatever Ross could ask me. We’re going to make sure we’re one step ahead, but we’ll worry about it if…if it happens, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter said nodding. “I do trust you, Tony. I just…don’t want to lose you…or Pepper, you know?”

“I know, buddy,” Tony said. He understood. He really did. Peter had lost his parents, his uncle, and now his aunt. He and Pepper were all he had left, so of course, he wouldn’t want to lose his guardian. “I promise you, nothing bad is going to happen, and if anything does happen, you and Rhodey will be the first people on my team.”

Peter smiled and nodded. “Okay,” he said. It didn’t ease his worries completely, but knowing that Tony would ask him for help relaxed him somewhat.

* * *

After breakfast, Tony and Peter left the diner and made their way to Forest Park to spend the morning together. It wasn’t too far from the diner and was a quick drive. The billionaire and the teen found a nice spot in the shade on a bench, where they sat down enjoying the silence and the beautiful summer weather. Thankfully, Peter brought his notebook with his notes on their nanotechnology project, and the two of them sat next to each other with Tony’s arm holding Peter close to his side as they discussed the project.

Tony found himself smiling as he watched Peter talk very enthusiastically about their project…something that they were finishing together. When May died, Tony knew there was a chance Peter wouldn’t be interested in it for a while, but the billionaire knew from experience that normalcy helped with the grief. Peter would’ve needed something to represent one part of normalcy in his life after it had essentially been turned upside down. It had helped during the wake, the funeral, the hearing, Ms. Walker’s visit, and the press conference. They had quite the emotional roller coaster, and Tony and Pepper agreed to try to keep things as relaxed as possible for their kid…to help him heal. So far, it seemed to be working, and Tony loved seeing it…that despite the tragedies and the craziness, Peter was still willing to pull through and move forward.

“You okay, Tony?” Peter suddenly asked jolting his guardian out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?” Tony asked. “Oh yeah, I’m fine, kid. I’m just…I’m really proud of you, you know?”

“W-What did I do for you to be proud of me?” Peter asked with raised eyebrows.

“Well, I could go through a whole list from the time I first met with you, but we’d be here all day,” Tony replied. “So, I’ll just focus on more recent times. You’ve been such a trooper in all this. I know it hasn’t been easy with May being gone, but you’ve been holding on, kiddo. You were dealt a pretty crappy hand, and you’ve been trying to process it all and move forward. That’s not exactly the easiest thing to do when someone we love dies.”

“Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it,” Peter said staring at the notebook and leaning his head on Tony’s shoulder.

“Why do you say that?” Tony asked.

“Well, I still cry when I think about May,” Peter added bashfully. “It usually doesn’t last for too long, but it still happens. Like I told Ms. Walker, I haven’t even asked you and Pepper to take me to the cemetery yet.”

“It’s perfectly normal to not want to, Pete,” Tony said gently rubbing Peter’s shoulder. “It’s hard to face that part when all is said and done. I was the same way when my parents died, and Pepper, too. There’s no timetable as to when you go to the cemetery, but it’s there for when or if you feel ready.”

“Really?” Peter asked.

“Really,” Tony said with a smile. “You don’t have to force yourself to do something you’re not ready to do. No one is expecting you to do that. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you call the shots. Whatever you want to do…Pepper and I are with you all the way.”

Peter smiled and angled his body so that he could hug his guardian tightly. “Thanks, Tony,” he said with the smile never leaving his face.

“You’re welcome, Peter,” Tony said gladly returning the gesture.

They stayed in each other’s embrace before slightly pulling away to look at each other.

“And to add onto that list,” Tony said, “you were a trooper and an absolute dynamite at the hearing, the press conference, and when Walker came to visit. Just saying.”

“Yeah, but I’ve had you and Pepper by my side in some way, shape, or form,” Peter replied. “So, thank you again, Tony.”

“You don’t need to thank me, kiddo,” Tony replied. “I’d do it all over again if I had to.”

Peter smiled and nuzzled deeper into Tony’s shoulder. He hated that he lost his parents, Ben, and now May, and he wished more than anything to have all of them…his parents, Ben, May, Tony, and Pepper. He was grateful to have a home, a family, and love with Tony and Pepper, but a part of him wished he had everyone together. “I wish I could have all of you,” Peter said. “You, Pepper, my parents, Ben, and May…I wish all of us could be together.”

“I know, buddy,” Tony whispered as he buried his face in Peter’s hair. “I know.”

“But I really am grateful that I have you and Pepper,” he said after a moment. “I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you both.”

“I think you would’ve been fine, buddy,” Tony said. “You’re stronger than you think, but I am glad May trusted me to take care of you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without my buddy.”

“I was right,” Peter said. “May knew what she was doing when she asked you. She knew we’re better together.”

“Of course, she did,” Tony said rubbing his hand on Peter’s shoulder again.

* * *

“Hey, so, uhh…I was actually texting Ned and MJ last night before bed,” Peter said as they drove back to the tower later in the afternoon.

After their talk, they spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon in the park, they decided to head back to work a little in the lab and meet up with Pepper when she was done for the day. With all the craziness with Steve Rogers coming and breaking in, Peter had completely forgotten about his text conversation with Ned and MJ from the night before until Ned finally texted asking how he was and if he even asked Tony to begin with.

“Oh yeah? How are they doing?” Tony asked as he drove the car through typical city traffic.

“They’re great so far,” Peter replied smiling. “They’re really enjoying their summer vacation. Umm…they were actually wondering if it was cool for us to hang out for a bit on Monday at Ned’s apartment.”

“Oh, really?” Tony asked.

“Yeah, so…is it okay if I go?” Peter asked.

“Of course, it’s okay with me, buddy. We’ll double check with Pepper when we get home, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Are you sure you’re up for it?”

“Yeah, I think it would be good for me for me to spend time with my friends, you know? Plus, I did promise them we would now that we’ve gotten through the craziness.”

“I completely agree,” Tony said with a smile. “You know, if you want, and again, this is if Pepper is okay with it, too, maybe after you guys hang out at Ned’s house, Happy can bring you all back to the tower, and we can all go out to dinner—somewhere casual, you know?”

“Yeah, I would love that! I’ll ask Ned and MJ when we ask Pepper, but if they can’t, the three of us still can, right?”

“Of course, kid, of course.”

Peter smiled as he settled back into his seat making a making mental note to text his two best friends as soon as he and Tony spoke to Pepper. He had a feeling she would be okay with it, but she and Tony were a team just as May and Ben were. Whenever he wanted to ask them something, either May or Ben made sure the other was in the loop before making a decision. The fact that Tony was so okay with it and willing to take them out to dinner brought a smile to his face. Tony had met Ned and MJ in the past, so they already knew each other. It would be nice to have them altogether. He had a feeling that was just what he needed…to be with his family and friends, especially after the scare they had with Steve Rogers.

* * *

Monday came, and of course, Pepper was more than okay with Peter going to spend time with Ned and MJ at Ned’s place. In fact, she was even more thrilled at the idea of her and Tony taking Peter and his two best friends out to dinner after work, which in turn made Peter even more thrilled. Once Ned and MJ cleared it with their parents, the plans were all set, and Peter said goodbye to Pepper and Tony and hopped into the car with Happy at around 11AM promising to be back around 4PM with Ned and MJ. As soon as Happy pulled up in front of Ned’s apartment building, Peter thanked Happy before climbing out of the car with Happy reminding him that pick-up was around 4PM, and he practically skipped up to the building.

Mrs. Leeds wasted no time in buzzing into the building once he rang the bell.

“Peter, it’s so good to see you,” Mrs. Leeds said as soon as she opened the door and hugged him.

“It’s good to see you too, Mrs. Leeds,” he replied hugging her in return.

“How are you, sweetheart?” she said pulling away and letting Peter come inside. “We saw the press conference. You were amazing.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Leeds,” Peter said as she closed the door behind them. “It…It wasn’t easy. I was very grateful to have Tony and Pepper up there with me. They made it doble.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Mrs. Leeds said, “and you seem to be happy with them.”

“I really am,” Peter said nodding. “They’ve been amazing with me…through everything, you know?”

Mrs. Leeds nodded. “Well, I told them this at the wake, and I will tell you now. If you all need anything, you knew where to find us.”

“I appreciate that, thank you,” Peter replied.

“You’re welcome,” Mrs. Leeds replied. “Now, Ned and Michelle are in his room. I’ll have pizza delivered in a bit. Go on and have fun.”

“Okay, thank you,” Peter replied as he walked over to Ned’s room. He knocked on the door and opened it only to see Ned and MJ.

“Peter!” they shouted in unison as they practically shot up from the floor and ran up to him pulling him into a group hug.

“Hey, guys!” Peter said happily as he returned the gesture. “You act like you haven’t seen me in ages.”

“Well, yeah, dude, it feels like it’s been ages,” Ned said as they pulled away to look at him. “We haven’t seen you in person since…” he stopped, “well…since the funeral.”

“And we totally get why, you know?” MJ added quickly.

“No, no, it’s okay,” Peter said quickly holding his hands up. “You’re right. I haven’t seen you guys since May’s funeral, and I am sorry about that. It’s been crazy since then, and I’ve been trying to get back on my feet and get used to this…new normal, you know?”

“Yeah, buddy, absolutely,” Ned said nodding. “We don’t want you to rush into anything you’re not ready for or don’t feel up for. We’re with you all the way.”

Peter’s smile widened. “I know, Ned,” he said before pulling them into a group hug. ‘Thank you, guys.”

“You’re welcome,” Ned and MJ said in unison.

“Well, come on,” Ned said as he guided Peter to his little table where the Lego pieces waited, “these pieces aren’t going to put themselves together.”

“And my sketches won’t draw themselves,” MJ said as she sat down next to them, “so get to it, losers.”

Peter and Ned laughed as they sat down next to her and started working on the newest Lego set. Much like working in the lab with Tony, building Lego sets and hanging out with Ned and MJ was just what he needed. He found himself missing the days when Ned and MJ came over to hang out with him and May…and how May either took them out to dinner, but he tried his hardest to keep it down and focus on the time he was spending with Ned and MJ.

“It’s okay to miss her,” MJ said placing a hand on his shoulder.

Peter looked up at MJ. “Hmm?”

“May, it’s okay to miss her,” MJ replied. “Ned and I loved when we came over to your…old place, and she would try to cook us dinner.”

Peter laughed as tears formed in his eyes. “Yeah, I loved it too,” he said. “We always went to the diner or…or that Thai place.” He sniffled and wiped his eyes. “I-I know it’s okay to miss her, but…I don’t want to bog you guys down.”

“You’re not, Peter,” Ned said. “We want you to talk to us, especially when you miss her. I mean, it’s one thing if you don’t want to, which is totally fine, but if you ever want to, we’ll listen.”

“Exactly,” MJ said. “We won’t shoot you down, Parker.”

Peter smiled as he wiped his eyes. “Thanks, guys,” he said, “but really, if you get sick of it—”

“Not happening,” Ned and MJ said in unison.

“Well, still, thanks,” Peter said with the smile never leaving his face. “I really appreciate it. You guys and Tony and Pepper and your parents have been great.”

“You’d do the same if it was one of us,” MJ said. “Believe it or not, your do-gooder personality is one of the reasons why I consider you a friend.”

Peter couldn’t help but blush hearing MJ compliment his personality as he continued to stack the Lego pieces.

“Not to change the subject, Peter,” Ned said after a moment of silence, “but you were amazing at that press conference last week.”

“Yeah, I’m glad you were up there, and not me,” MJ said as she continued to sketch in her book. “I would probably have some words for that one reporter who asked why you didn’t go with extended family.”

“Trust me, I think Tony would’ve cheered you on if you did,” Peter said with a smirk. “Pepper and Tony warned me that they might ask something like that. The media likes to try to poke holes in the story…to see if something doesn’t sound right and use it as a chance to get a paycheck.”

“Yeah, but you went back at them like a badass,” Ned said patting Peter on the back.

“Hell yeah, you did,” MJ added with a smile as Peter blushed. “Not that I’m prying or anything, but that one question about…adoption…has Stark talked to you about that?”

Peter had a feeling that ether she or Ned would ask about the question regarding adoption. He might’ve cleared things up with Tony and Pepper, but he knew Ned and MJ would’ve wanted to know. “Yeah, we talked about it after the press conference,” he said, “and we basically decided to table it for now and see where the future takes us. If we decide to go for it, great. If not, Tony says that we don’t need paperwork to prove that we’re family.”

“Oh well, that’s good,” Ned said with a smile. “It’s not a ‘no’ from you guys, just a ‘maybe.’”

“Yeah, a ‘maybe,’” Peter said nodding as he placed another piece on the set. “So, don’t expect me to think about it anytime soon. I just…want to get used to everything, okay?”

“And that’s fine,” MJ said quickly. “No one will force you into anything you don’t want to do.”

“Yeah, no, absolutely,” Ned quickly added. “That’s between you and Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts. No judgment here.”

Peter smiled. “Thanks, guys,” he said. “How’s that sketch coming along, MJ?”

* * *

The three teens enjoyed the rest of the afternoon together before 4PM finally arrived. Happy texted Peter that he was waiting for them outside, and after saying goodbye to Mrs. Leeds, Peter led Ned and MJ down to meet Happy in the car. The three of them greeted the “forehead” of security as they piled into the backseat together, and as soon as they were inside, Happy pulled out into the street driving back to the tower.

Once Happy finally pulled up in front of the building some time later, he gave Peter specific instructions on how to sign Ned and MJ in at the front desk. Peter couldn’t help but roll his eyes, noting how he didn’t have to do that when he brought his friends home, but then he realized. Tony was a billionaire, and it would be bad news if someone managed to walk in and out of the tower without clearance of some sort. So, it was necessary to keep an eye on potential danger. So, he agreed and thanked Happy for taking them back home, and he led his two best friends into the lobby, where he signed them in at the front desk before leading them to the elevator.

“Good afternoon, Peter, Ned, and Michelle,” FRIDAY said as he stepped onto the elevator.

“Uh…MJ is fine,” MJ said to the AI.

“Very well, MJ,” FRIDAY replied. “Peter, boss has instructed me to escort you three to the office floor. Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts have been notified that you are on your way, and they’re in a meeting in her office.”

Peter furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion as he realized what FRIDAY just told him. “Did they say who they’re meeting with, FRIDAY?” he asked. Pepper and Tony didn’t mention to him about them having a meeting today, and he felt a little bad not knowing that. Maybe he could’ve asked FRIDAY to take them to the penthouse, but as he checked his phone, he saw that he didn’t receive any texts from Tony or Pepper about this meeting.

“It’s with Secretary Thaddeus Ross,” FRIDAY replied.

Peter immediately perked hearing FRIDAY’s answer, and it seemed to get Ned and MJ’s attention as well.

“Why would the Secretary of State want to meet with Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts?” Ned asked with concern in his voice.

“Is it because of the Accords?” MJ asked.

“I don’t know,” Peter replied. ‘They didn’t mention anything to me about it.”

“Maybe _they_ didn’t know,” MJ suggested.

Peter tried to steady his pounding heart thinking about what Steve Rogers had told Tony just a few nights ago. Was this it? Was it about the Accords? Did Ross find something to use against Tony or Rhodey or Pepper? Could the Secretary of State really be that powerful and just come to the tower whenever he wanted? There were so many questions and hardly any answers. “One way to find out,” Peter said aloud.

Soon enough, as if on cue, the elevator doors opened, and the three teens found themselves on the office floor, where Pepper’s office was located. Peter had been here quite a few times before May died. Sometimes if Peter came over on an early Friday afternoon or Saturday or a day off, he and Tony stopped by to meet with Pepper for lunch before heading to the lab for Lab Day, so he was familiar with this part of Stark Industries. He knew immediately where to go, but his worries weren’t put at ease when he saw two men in black in front of Pepper’s office door, which was closed. It was pretty clear that Ross was indeed in there with his guardian and his guardian’s fiancée. Without wasting much more time, he quickly walked over to Pepper’s office with Ned and MJ.

“What’s with the two guys in black?” MJ asked. “Are they trying to keep the alien attack a secret, too, now? It’s bad enough they do that with Roswell and Area 51.”

“I guess they’re Ross’ bodyguards,” Ned replied in a whisper.

“Let me do the talking,” Peter said as he led his two best friends. Sure enough, as they got closer, they saw Pepper’s secretary sitting at her desk staring at the men with apprehension. “Hey, Ms. Arbogast?”

Ms. Arbogast, who had been working for Tony when he was once CEO and now for Pepper, had come to know Peter ever since he became Tony’s intern and now charge, and needless to say, she grew fond of the teen. She jumped slightly when she heard said teenager and saw him standing there by her desk. “Oh, Peter, hello, there, darling,” she said. “I didn’t see you there.”

“W-What’s going on? Where are Pepper and Tony?” Peter asked eying the bodyguards. “I…I think they said for my friends and me to meet them here.”

“Oh no, you were,” Ms. Arbogast said quickly. “They’re just in a meeting with Secretary Ross. I don’t know what they’re talking about though.”

Peter looked at the secretary and then at the door with Tony’s words from the night Steve came to the penthouse just a few days ago.

“According to Rogers…there’s word going around that Ross believes that I know where the Rogues are and…that he may want to question me…”

His brown eyes widened as he realized that that was probably what this meeting was about, and his heart pounded. There was no telling what Ross was asking Tony and Pepper or if he was threatening them or something. Would Ross even go that far if Tony didn’t give him the information he wanted? Was it like the movies and TV shows with politicians who wanted to do whatever they could to stay in power? He eyed the two bodyguards as he tried to listen in. He couldn’t hear anything specific, but it definitely sounded like a tense conversation. Maybe the two bodyguards would let him in once they saw Tony Stark’s charge and tell their boss to wrap things up. They kept looking straight ahead clearly pretending no one was there, but Peter smiled at the secretary deciding to take the leap.

“Uhh…excuse me?” Peter said coming up to the bodyguards.

“Peter, what are you doing?” Ned asked quickly.

“I-I’m Peter,” the teenaged vigilante said not paying attention to his best friends walking closer to stand behind him. “Are you Secretary Ross’ bodyguards?”

“Yeah, what’s it to you, kid?” one of the guards said dismissively.

“W-Well, I’m Tony’s kid…or…charge…or ward/intern,” Peter replied. “Well…I guess…I guess, I wouldn’t be his intern anymore, but Tony’s my guardian and wants me in there. So…is there any chance you can tell your boss to let me in?”

“Sorry, Pablo—”

“Peter—”

“Whatever, Ross said no one is allowed in there until he’s done,” the guard replied, “so why don’t you be a good boy and go play videogames or something? Tony Stark’s rich brat doesn’t get everything he wants.”

“Excuse me,” Ms. Arbogast said as MJ and Ned stepped closer to Peter, “but this boy just told you that Mr. Stark asked that he come. He’s not a brat.”

“Whatever,” the guard replied, “with how I grew up, children should be seen and not heard.”

“I’ll tell you what, you asshole,” MJ said. “I got some choice words for you.”

“MJ, no,” Peter quickly said holding an arm out to stop her from proceeding any further. “It’s fine. We’ll just have to wait.”

Before either MJ or Ned could protest, Peter gently ushered them away closer to Ms. Arbogast’s desk away from the guards.

“Peter, come on,” MJ said. “Tony is your guardian. You have every right to be in there.”

“Yeah, man,” Ned said. “Those goons shouldn’t talk to you like that.”

“I know,” Peter said holding his hands up, “but I don’t want to make Tony look bad. This could affect if Ross will change the Accords, and well…last time I eavesdropped on Tony, he asked me to trust him to handle things like this. He and Pepper will be okay.”

MJ and Ned looked at each other and then back at Peter with some doubt, but they knew their friend had a point. If the Secretary of State saw that Tony couldn’t handle being in charge of a teenager and that he wasn’t listening. Peter emphasized just how important the Accords were. There was no room for anything to get out of hand, so…they had no choice but to wait.

“Hey, kid,” a voice suddenly said making Peter look up. It was Happy walking up to them.

“Happy,” Peter said in relief. “Secretary Ross is here, and those guards won’t let us in or anything. What’s going on?”

Happy looked at Peter and then at the two bodyguards, who clearly didn’t work for Stark Industries. He then turned to Peter and winked at him. “I’ll handle this, kid,” he said. “Sit tight.”

Peter gave a small smile as he watched Tony’s “forehead” of security walk over to the two men still standing at the door. “Excuse me, gentlemen,” Happy said with a slightly annoyed look on his face, “but I believe that as head of Stark Industries security, this is my turf and I need to get inside to speak to my bosses and to tell them that their kid and his friends are here waiting for him. So, kindly, please step aside and let me in.”

The two guards looked at each other and rolled their eyes knowing that they couldn’t fully compete with someone, who was the head of security at Stark Industries. Peter sensed this as he took a step closer behind Happy. He and Happy watched as one of Ross’ bodyguards knocked on the door and stepped aside allowing Happy to walk in.

The head of security opened the door and sure enough saw Secretary Ross in the room with Tony and Pepper. Pepper stood behind her desk while Tony faced Ross, and both of them glared at the Secretary of State. The tension was so thick that one could cut it with a knife.

“This had better be important,” Ross immediately said with a glare.

“Excuse me,” Tony snapped. “You don’t—”

“Go ahead, Happy,” Pepper said calmly.

“I apologize for the interruption,” Happy said looking directly at Tony and Pepper, “but it seems you both have another appointment.”

“Trust me, Hap, no apologies,” Tony said looking directly at Ross. “I’ve been waiting for the appointment all day. How about you, Pep?”

“As a matter of fact, I have,” Pepper said as she gathered the remainder of her things from the desk and put it in her purse. “Perhaps, another thing, Mr. Secretary? Maybe after you’ve made an appointment like everyone else?”

“Oh of course,” Ross retorted. “Perhaps…this Friday…in Washington D.C. at 10AM?”

“You really expect me to fly all the way to D.C. just so you can throw more questions in my face?” Tony asked glaring.

“Of course, I think it will be in your best interest to do so,” Ross retorted, “especially if you wish to amend the Accords. You have until tomorrow to tell me if you’ll be coming, or I can send my friends to pick you up.” He didn’t leave Tony, Pepper, or Happy any time to answer as he walked out of Pepper’s office, but after a couple of steps, he stopped in his tracks once he laid his eyes on…a certain teenaged boy with brown hair and eyes. There were two other teenagers behind him. He didn’t recognize the two teenagers, but he did recognize the one in front.

“Well, well, what have we here?” Ross asked raising an eyebrow as he looked at Peter. “I didn’t realize Stark Industries was hosting field trips.”

“Oh, well, not really, sir,” Peter said trying to steady his pounding heart and shaky voice. “It’s summer vacation now, so…no school.”

“Ah, yes, I remember those days,” Ross replied with a smile.

Peter was having a hard time trying to figure out if Ross’ smile was genuine or fake, but given that he was a politician, that seemed to be given that he couldn’t tell. Instead, he simply laughed nervously and shrugged before remembering his manners. “Oh, I-I’m sorry, sir—Mr. Secretary,” he said holding his hand out to shake, “I-I’m Peter…Peter Parker, and this is—”

“Right, you’re Stark’s boy,” Ross said shaking his hand. “I saw the press conference. I must say, you’re a very poignant speaker. Perhaps, politics are in your future.”

“Why would he choose a field that corrupts people, Ross?” Tony asked as he quickly walked up to Peter wrapping an arm around the kid while eyeing Ross.

“Hmm…” Ross said eyeing the billionaire, “perhaps you’re right, Stark. Well, then, perhaps, I should take my leave. Remember, Friday…10AM…Washington, D.C. Perhaps, you, Ms. Potts, and Peter can make…a little getaway out of it so to speak, or I can come back and drag you there. The choice is yours. Let me know…by tomorrow.”

“Noted,” Tony said glaring back at the politician. “Now, get out.”

With that, no other words were spoken as the Secretary of State and his bodyguards finally left.

Peter could only watch as they made their way toward the elevator and disappeared behind the door. He looked up at his guardian, who looked back at him squeezing his shoulder silently telling him that they would talk about it later.

“Are you okay?” Peter asked quietly placing a hand on Tony’s hand.

“Better now that you’re here,” Tony replied with a soft smile. He then looked at MJ and Ned. “I’m sorry you guys had to see that. Are you all okay?”

“Yeah, Mr. Stark,” Ned replied.

“Just shocked that that douchebag gets to talk to you like that,” MJ said furrowing her eyebrows together.

“Unfortunately, MJ, he didn’t get lessons in etiquette,” Pepper said. “Now, guys, we’re not going to talk anymore about this. We’re going to go out and have a great time, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tony, Peter, Ned, and MJ said in unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnnd that’s all for now, boys and girls! I hope you all enjoyed it! Tony, Pepper, and Peter will talk more in the next chapter! Don’t forget to read and review! Thanks, guys! See you in the next chapter!


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